'We'

Chapter Four

Erik's desk was messy. He had never been the most organised person but today, as he made his way into the tiny room, the clutter caught his eye like like a one-legged man in a three-legged race. He sighed inwardly. He had so much paperwork to do.

He looked around at his office. It still smelled new, and he was not yet used to the lack of windows. The door, too, was solid and encasing. This place was like a prison cell. At least cells had bars.

The man walked over to sit at his new desk. He took a moment to compose himself, breathing deeply with eyes fixed on the messy papers before him. He crossed his hands gently over his chest, not sure if he was trying to be defensive or not. Not that there was anyone to be defensive towards. He was alone in his cell.

Very slowly, Erik picked up the topmost paper, bringing it close to his face. He squinted his eyes, scanning each line carefully. It took him all of ten minutes to reach the bottom of the first page.

The ticking of the clock was the only noise in the small room, other than the agitated sighs that occasionally escaped Erik's pursed lips and the gentle lull of his voice as he spoke to himself. Every so often a pen scratched paper, but this was rare. He was thankful once more for the understanding of his boss as he spoke into the work-tablet laying on his desk. The voice recognition software was invaluable in helping Erik get his work done.

Suddenly there was a sharp rap on the door. Erik's head snapped upwards, and a muscle in his neck twitched. He raised a hand to gently massage it as he rose from his seat, glancing over towards the door.

"Who is it?"

"Who do you think it is?"

A smile reached Erik's face as the voice responded and recognition sparked in his brain. There were only two people that would take the time to visit him. His boss, whose gruff voice did not match the friendly tone on the other side of the door and Sebastian.

Erik and Seb had joined the company at the same time, and as such had become friends very quickly. In fact, Seb was the only person that Erik considered a friend at all. Until Felix, at least. Seb was aware of his friend's dyslexia but didn't hold it against him. He treated the man like any other, and this was all that Erik could ever ask for.

A small click signalled that Seb was entering the room. The door swung open to reveal the smiling man, his clothes criminally casual for an office situation. Erik wondered wryly how he ever got away with it. His dark hair swung as he walked in, simultaneously messy and well-groomed. The two tiny tattoos under his right eye crinkled upwards as he smiled.

"Want to take lunch together?" Seb asked. Erik glanced up at the clock on his wall, and then back down to his messy desk. The new man could see the internal struggle being fought in his friend's mind and slid between him and the table seamlessly. "Think how much more productive you'll be after a nice coffee!"

The black haired man smiled, giving in to his friend's instance. He nodded slightly and placed the tablet in his hand down on the desk. The pair walked from the room in pleasant silence, something Erik was always thankful for.

They each raised their cards at the scanner on the door, signing out for their minuscule lunch break. Erik had grabbed his hoodie from the back of his chair, and now he donned it, shielding himself from the cold as best as he could. They paused outside the entrance to the office, debating where to head.

"Do you want a meal or just coffee?" Seb asked, shoving his hands in his pockets in a futile attempt to replace gloves. Erik's own fingers were starting to freeze, and he mirrored the action. Coffee. That sounded promising.

"I know a good coffee shop," Erik informed his friend, hiding his smile behind the collar of his hoodie. Seb looked pleased, and so they set off toward the place where Felix worked.

It had only been a day since he had met up with his new friend after work, yet Erik was nervous about walking into the cafe. He wasn't too sure why, either. He couldn't pin down whether he wanted to see the barista or not.

They stood for a moment outside the shop and Seb glanced up at the sign, taking it in. Erik waited anxiously beside him as if he needed his friend's approval before he relaxed. The dark-haired man nodded, and Erik let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding.

Finally, Erik pushed the door open, holding it for Seb to walk in first. As he followed, the taller man quickly glanced around him, searching for a familiar face. He couldn't see Felix, however, and his chest sank. Seb seemed to notice.

"What's up?" he asked, curiosity causing him to raise an eyebrow. "You don't want coffee after all?"

"No, sorry," Erik quickly responded. His voice caught in his throat suddenly, and the man had trouble realising why. It took him a few moments to get the words out. "My friend works here. I wondered if I would see him."

"Erik has friends?" Seb asked jokingly as they joined the end of the line. Erik rolled his eyes in response, and his friend reached up a hand to ruffle his black hair.

"What? Do you feel threatened?" The other man joked back, squirming away from Seb's hand. A smile reached both their faces.

"Maybe. What's it to you?"

Following a shared laugh, the two settled once more into a comfortable silence. Erik paid little attention to what was going on around him - he knew already what he would order. Gradually they edged forward until they were almost at the front of the line. Seb looked up at the menu.

"They've got iced Americano. Do you want that?" It was a habit that the pair had developed soon after they first met - for Seb to read the menu to Erik in the subtlest way he could. This time, however, it was not necessary.

They reached the front of the line, and Erik's head was jolted up from where he had been staring at his feet, thinking. The small thud that had awoken him had been made by a paper cup hitting the counter. He did not register for a moment what significance this held. Not until he raised his head further, to the man now standing opposite him. Not until he glanced back down at the cup, at the 'K' at the beginning of his name.

"When did you-"

"I just came back from break. You were too in your own world to notice me." Felix's beautiful smile lit up his whole face, and Erik had to look back down at the cup momentarily. Seb coughed from beside him.

"So this is your new friend?"

Felix held out his hand to Seb, and a jolt of pride sparked through Erik. He wanted so desperately for these two to get along.

"Felix Rose," the man introduced himself.

"Seb. Nice to meet you."

They smiled at each other for a while, holding hands for a moment too long. Erik glanced at their fingers until they released, wondering why Felix had not shaken his hand yet. He closed his eyes, clearing his head, as he realised what he was doing, and looked up to see both men staring at him. Felix was smiling.