The Elevator (Grumbo)

The Elevator

AN: Hi all :) So I've not posted in a while but I figured I'd bring you guys a new story. Introducing Grian who can't do social interaction. And Mumbo who life keeps pushing him towards.

Hopefully you guys like it. I will say it has a happy ending and minimumal angst (Guaranteed Casper promise.) Anyways enjoy!

This is a full story now at nearly 4,500 words.

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People tended to flood the office building, making it feel bursting with life. Sure, business was great and everything was going swimmingly, but the number of new people made his job so much more difficult.

It was barely 10 am and he'd already uttered far too many 'sorrys', 'excuse mes' and 'pardon mes' to be comfortable. Already having to duck and weave through a wave of people to get anywhere.

It was important that he got upstairs, ASAP. That's what the email said at least. So with a glance at his watch, a look at all the obstacles he'd have to face and a small sigh, he downed the last of his coffee and began figuring out what path would require him to run into the least amount of people. Delaying it wouldn't work so he dove straight into the first crowded area.

Don't get him wrong, he loved working with Scar and was thrilled to have the opportunity to work with such a big group of people on fun projects. But when you were only so tall it was a nightmare trying to navigate your way around large groups in small spaces. People wouldn't recognise your presence so you had to project your voice not only to be louder but to be more firm and serious, then, when you finally have their attention they oftentimes do a very dramatic look to find who exactly is talking to them. The most demeaning part of the look Grian has to encounter regularly whilst working with apparent giants was the slow, painfully so, glance downwards.

Usually, it plays out as so. They scan the nearby area trying to identify where the voice has come from, failing to find anyone's eye level they then resort to looking down. Upon meeting Grian's eyes, he can see the moment they take in his stature, staring for just too long before trying to politely brush it off. Packaged neatly with the kind of smile that couldn't feel remotely genuine. The final step, a visibly anxious glance around and stilted laughter as they move out his way.

The email had seemed important, surely even Scar wouldn't undermine the importance of using 'ASAP' in a business email? With that in mind, he decides there really isn't enough time for any of the pleasantries or normal exchanges that he'd usually suffer through because it's 'good for business and relationships' or whatever. Instead, he decides to just keep on moving through the building. All he had to do was reach the elevator and then it would be simple.

Sure, his method was somewhat rude and unorthodox but he needed to be there already so he could handle the consequences of damaging work relationships later. The advantage to being surrounded by giants was that he could budge through without them noticing as easily, meaning with speed and accuracy he could get there faster.

Finally arriving at the elevator he quickly pressed the correct button and willed it to shut quickly, he couldn't stand the idea of having to stand in awkward silence with someone, let alone a stranger he probably had never interacted with. What was he meant to do then?

Small talk had never really been his thing, more so having to learn that 'how are you?' meant little more than a comment about the weather. It was a confusing path to navigate sometimes so it was for the best that he rarely had to partner up with new people. Having been told throughout his life by several people that he was sometimes too blunt, too this, too that, he figured it was usually easier to not interact with new people where possible. If you asked him, there were too many rules to the whole socialising thing.