I brought you coffee- A Naegami fic (ENG)

One

«Naegi, what's that cup on my desk?»

The brunette turned around, taking his eyes off of the computer he was working with so that he could look his superior in the face.

«Oh, that? I asked Touko what your usual order at the coffee shop is. Since I stopped there to have breakfast I thought it would have been nice to bring you a cup, since I don't know if you have breakfast everyday. Also I thought you might get thirsty while working.»

Makoto's calmness in saying that threw Byakuya off. He was usually good at understanding people and foreseeing their moves or in understanding what they wanted from him. This time was different. First off, he would have never expected this kind of gesture from anyone except, maybe, Touko; but never from an acquaintance or even an employee. On top of that, from the boy's tone of voice and behaviour it really seemed that Makoto had done that without any malice or expecting anything in return from the heir. And that wasn't the last time that the brunette did something like that for Byakuya.

Every day, when the heir got to his office he'd find a cup of hot coffee on his desk waiting for him and Makoto ready to greet him with a smile. The brunette was always on time, getting there a bit earlier than Byakuya and was always focused on what he worked on. Sometimes he was very clumsy (more than once huge stacks of documents had fallen off of his desk, things he was supposed to be working on; nothing that couldn't be solved in a few minutes though) but he never screwed up the truly important things and was always able to fix everything without further issues.

Makoto had become part of Byakuya's routine and, as weird as it was for the heir to think that, he enjoyed having him around. By then he expected to find Makoto already there, waiting for him first thing in the morning, writing the umpteenth email or answering one of the numerous calls he would take care of every day. If he wasn't busy doing those things he would raise his gaze and greet Byakuya with a small smile or he'd wave his hand. Byakuya would always answer nodding his head a bit or waving, before locking himself in his office, with his hot cup of coffee waiting for him.

The only time Makoto didn't show up at work (two consecutive days in which he was stuck at home with the flu) Byakuya truly realised the impact that guy had on his life. During those two days he personally went to the coffee shop to get his cup, by now something he couldn't give up and part of his morning routine, eventually opting to have a decent breakfast too (something he never did on work days).

«Oh, Mr. Togami, it's been a while since I last saw you! Nowadays I always see your friend Makoto come in here for you...he's such a nice guy, I'm so happy you have a person like that around. Do you know why he didn't come today? Does he have a day off?»

Byakuya's answer were short and sharp, nothing unusual for those who knew him and had got used to his cold behaviour; but he thought about what the barista had said for a long time. Makoto wasn't his friend, he was his employee. But it was true that the boy somewhat "took care" of Byakuya in a way. Bringing him coffee every morning wasn't one of the tasks he had been hired for, but he still did it without expecting anything. Makoto had often tried to start a conversation, especially during the little bits of free time where they'd casually meet (after their lunch break or after work, while they were both waiting for their ride home, one waiting for a taxi and the other for his sister to pick him up; or again those little moments when Byakuya would come out of his office to go to the bathroom or go get some water and walk a bit after sitting for hours); the brunette would always look for topics and stuff they could talk about.

During those two days where Makoto wasn't there, Byakuya had to admit that he missed having the boy around. His presence definitely made a difference and, when he finally came back, he begun appreciating him even more.

«What do you think of the company's canteen?» Byakuya's question came out of the blue, but he actually had a reason behind it. He had a plan in mind.

«Well... actually I feel a bit out of place most of the time...I know that coming from me it must sound funny, considering the kind of person I am, but I have a hard time feeling part of the "group".» He tried to lighten up his speech by smiling, even if it was clear it was a bit upsetting for him. Despite his optimistic and sociable nature, he wasn't able to socialise with the other employees, who all had their friends and had something in common with each other. Makoto was a secretary, Byakuya's secretary, there wasn't anyone else that had a position like his own. Even if he had found a couple people he could talk with, he still felt completely out of place.

Very well. Byakuya wasn't happy about the other's unease, he actually felt bad for him, but this situation was making it easier for him (at least that's what he thought) to ask the question he had been planning.

«I understand. Then, instead of making you go to the canteen every day, where you'd be uncomfortable, would it be okay if I invited you out for lunch with me every once in a while?»

Makoto's eyes widened as he looked at him; he never would have expected such question from his boss.

«Are you really sure, sir?»

«If I'm asking you this it means I would be happy to have you with me. Besides, I would also get the chance to thank you for all those coffees you always leave on my desk.»

«There's no need to thank me for that, really! But...I'd e happy to have lunch with you, it would be nice.»

Perfect.

Truth be told, after speaking with his friend Touko, Byakuya had been pushed by the girl to try and pursue a friendship with Makoto. The writer had admitted that another reason why she had suggested the brunette as a possible secretary was because she had seen the potential good influence Makoto's personality could have on her friend. He needed someone who could lighten up his days throughout the week and Touko hoped that Byakuya could make more friends, since she couldn't always be there for him and he could have used more people around. At first, the heir had been reluctant, mostly out of embarrassment and thinking it was silly, but he eventually accepted to try stepping out of his comfort zone; part of him secretly thinking that, maybe, making friends with the boy wouldn't have been that bad. Trough his life he had never made that many deep connections and, most of the time, he didn't understand what was the importance of relationships of that kind, seeing them as a waste of time that would have slowed him down and prevented him from reaching his goals. But Makoto was like a little magnet towards whom Byakuya felt drawn in. He was curious to get to know the boy more. In this case, trying to make friends with him wouldn't have taken away precious time from his job, considering they worked in the same place. So, why not try it out?

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This is deadass where the name of the fic comes from. Also because I have 0 creativity when it comes to titles.
Byakuya learns to make friends.

DO NOT HAVE RPS UNDER MY STORIES PLEASE