The Internship

Chapter One: Playing Tourguide

/buzz/ "Veronica, be a doll and send Marcel in would ya?"

"Right away sir."

"Ah, here he is! Marcel! Take a seat!" Harvey's all smiles but Marcel's seen this before, how fake nice he is with his celebrity clients. Marcel tries to play it cool but his voice still catches as he makes his way down to a chair.

"Y-you wanted to see me?"

"How old are you Marcel?" Harvey leans across his desk, staring intently at Marcel.

"Erm, I just turned nineteen." Marcel says, fiddling with his thumbs.

"Perfect!" Harvey pauses, leaning back in his chair. "I called you in here today because my sons coming to stay with me for a while. I wanted to show him what his old man does." He laughs and Marcel doesn't know what to do so he keeps quiet. "I think he's around your age, I haven't seen him in forever. Bloody ex-wife gets him all to herself" He mumbles the last part but Marcel can still hear. If Harvey was upset before he doesn't show it because once again he's all smiles.

"U-um, sir? I don't understand what this has to do with me?"

"Yes, Marcel I'm getting to that. Since I'm a busy man, I want you to show him around. I'll check up on you once and a while, but he's your responsibility, okay?"

Marcel just nods. When he got this internship he thought he'd be making people coffee (which he does do) and learning things about the marketing business (not so much) not babysitting! (Athough is it really babysitting if the boy's the same age as you?)

He doesn't realize that Harvey's gotten up until he feels a firm hand gripping his shoulder. He jolts, torn from his thoughts.

"You're a good man, Marcel."

Marcel stands up, not sure of what to say so he just nods again. Harvey goes to sit back down so he takes it as his cue to leave. Just as he's about to close the door Harvey shouts, "Oh, and he'll be here tomorrow!"

Marcel goes home and spends the whole night worrying about what's to come.

-

"Marcel! Marcel!" Marcel takes a deep breath before entering the office. He barely slept the night before; his thoughts kept him awake. Marcel isn't too good with new people, they stress him out. He has social anxiety, and most people interpret it as rudeness, so he doesn't go out much either. 'I just hope he's not like his dad' he thinks before shutting the door behind him.

"Here he is!"

Marcel takes a look around the room before his eyes land on who he assumes to be Harvey's son. He's gorgeous. Everything about him screams beautiful. But Marcel knows what good looking people are like; always fucking with other people's feelings for kicks. So he doesn't get his hopes up. This is for his job, nothing more.

He sits down on the couch beside the boy, not daring to look his way. He just looks straight ahead.

"'m Niall." The boy says, and Marcel hears the hint of an Irish accent. He's a sucker for accents. He looks at him for a brief moment, just to acknowledge that yes, he heard that his name was Niall, so Harvey wouldn't think he was being rude. Those are the bluest eyes I've ever seen, he thinks to himself before turning away. He feels his face growing hot already.

"Well I hate interrupt what is obviously some quality bonding time, but I have a meeting in five so" Harvey makes a shooing gesture with his hands and before Marcel knows what's happening he's outside the office with Niall. Marcel doesn't know what to say so he just starts walking and hopes Niall will follow. He does. Niall's the first to break the awkward silence.

"So, er, you work 'ere?" and as soon as the words are out of his mouth he regrets them because obviously the person giving him a tour of the office works here. But he can't take it back now so he just smiles at him.

Marcel's caught off-guard but he takes a deep breath and tries not to stutter.

"Uh, n-no, I, erm. I'm an intern." He takes a look at the boy, and notices he's smiling, so he does his best to smile back.

"Oh that's cool." Niall says, pausing because he doesn't know what else to say, he just wants to see that smile again. "I didn't catch your name back in the office." It's not a question, it's a statement.

"It's Marcel."

"Hiya Marcel, 'm Niall." He does this cute little wave and Marcel starts to laugh, but quickly stops because he hates the sound of his laugh and he's sure Niall would too. Not that he cares what Niall thinks.

Okay he does.

A lot.

"I-I'll uh, show you around I guess."

And that's what he does. He shows him the coffee room where he spends most of his time, (and where Niall grabs a few donuts "for the journey"), the printer room where Niall asks "Has anyone, y'know, printed a picture of their bum or anythin'?" and Marcel doesn't know what to say because why would anyone do that?, and then he shows him all the little cubicles and Niall starts muttering to himself how office sex would be really hot and Marcel pretends not to notice. (Although the way he keeps on tugging at his collar suggests otherwise)

And then their back where they started and Marcel's loosened up a bit and is starting to think that Niall isn't so bad after all.

"So that was the tour.. It's pretty boring." Marcel says, tugging at his collar again.

"Nah, it was brilliant. I had an amazing tour guide." Niall says, winking at Marcel.

Marcel has no idea what to do so he just blushes and looks away muttering thanks. And then there's that silence again. During the tour it wasn't an issue because there was usually something going on, something to talk about. But now there was nothing more to show him, and Marcel hates talking about himself.

"So, erm, how long are you staying here?" It's Marcel who breaks the silence, asking the first question that pops into his mind.

"Dunno. Whenever me dad gets tired of me or somethin'" Niall says it with a smile on his face but it doesn't quite reach his eyes. Marcel wonders when the last time Niall saw his dad was, but he doesn't push it because he doesn't know Niall that well.

And then just like that the day's over and Niall's gone home and Marcel finds himself actually looking forward to going to work tomorrow.