The Nephew (Thomas Sangster)

VIII. The Most Ridiculous Roman Numeral

AN: It's always bugged me that the number eight in roman numerals is VIII instead of IIX which makes more sense as it's less characters and I mean, efficiency, bitches. C'mon. Anyway, back to the story!

"Uh...I'm...well." I stuttered, slowly putting my mug down, eyes wide.

"No, I'm sorry, forget I asked." He mumbled, pulling his head back through the crack in the door and starting to close it.

In a moment of stupidity and thoughtlessness, I called, "wait! I was just gonna say, I don't drink coffee."

He poked his head back through. "...What?"

"I mean, sorry, yeah. We can uh, we can...go out sometime."

"Yeah?" He grinned.

"Yeah." I gave him a half smile and he closed the door almost giddily, disappearing from my office. I immediately let out a huge breath I didn't even know I was holding in and slumped onto my desk. "Please God let this not be a mistake." I groaned. At that moment, another knock sounded from my door. I grumbled something about never getting any peace around here before calling for the knocker to enter.

"Sooo, I just heard the weekend's events from a very disgruntled Carter Frouss." Dogan said, closing the door behind him and sitting.

"I thought we agreed on 10:30, Will. It isn't even 10 yet."

"Well, this is juicier than I'd originally thought." He said, crossing his arms.

"It kinda stings that you'd listen to Carter and not me."

"Well it kinda stings that you would drunkenly kiss Carter and not me."

"You're shitting me Dogan." I glared.

"I mean hey, what does he have that I don't? He may be fit and have curly hair, but I'm fitter and have darker curly hair. I'm dark and mysterious, Olivia. Brooding. Come on."

"You're insane, but sorry, next time I make a mistake, it can be you."

"Thank you." He said with content. "Though from what I've heard that next mistake is probably our new boss Mr. Thomas Brodie-Sangster, so you're lying."

"Dammit, how do you people hear about these things so fast? Is there a wire in here somewhere?" I checked under my desk and opened a few drawers.

"Nope, it's just that you tell everything to the biggest gossiper in this hotel, Carter."

"Well not even Carter knows that Thomas and I-" I promptly shut myself up as I realized that if Carter didn't know, then neither did Dogan, unless Thomas had gone shouting it from the rooftops.

"THOMAS? You call him Thomas now? Hoohoohooo, gettin' friendly with the boss man are you?" I ignored him and stubbornly typed away at my computer. "Olivia. What doesn't Carter know? Are you two...together?"

"No! I mean...fine. He asked me out to coffee." I sighed in defeat.

"Does he know you don't like coffee? Seems like you shouldn't go out with a guy who doesn't even know you don't like coffee."

"Well he knows now."

"I don't want to judge, but shouldn't you and Carter be talking before you date the guy who split the two of you up that night?"

"Well I've tried. He's being all...weird. I don't know, he won't say a word to me without looking away. I don't know how to ask for my brother's sweat pants back, but I do want those."

"Well he's been in love with you for like two years, so..."

"Two years? That's a little bit of an exaggeration, don't you think?"

"Well it felt like two years. All the damn girl talk I've had to put up with."

"You're mean, Will."

"You know, I really wish you'd stick to one name for me. Even if you end up calling me Will Dogan all the time. Then you get the best of both worlds and can also sound super formal all the time. Hey, precede it with Mr."

"Mr. Will Dogan, please leave my office."

"No."

"No for real, I have a lot of paperwork to do and I don't get paid to gossip. Neither do you, and I control that salary, if you'll remember."

"Well someone's grouchy."

"Someone has work to do, and someone else is gonna get fired if he doesn't leave."

"You wouldn't dare." He teased.

"Let me just pull up the staff list here..." I joked back, hovering my mouse over the terminate button under his name.

"Fine! I'll leave. But hey, I'm coming over sometime and we're gonna talk about this."

I waved him out of my office, finally getting some peace and quiet.

AN: Done and ready! Thank you, my infinitely patient readers for remaining not only patient, but readers. I occasionally forget that I write fanfics and get caught up in hilarious English dubs of failed animes, like Ghost Stories. Look it up, it's wonderful and since I've had the flu the past two days, I have done nothing but watch it. Anyway, please vote, comment, and follow!