Chapter 5. Courtship, Apparently.

A week later...

Levi has never had to write a report in his life, not a serious one at least, so he was not prepared when he was told that he had to compile one by the end of the week and submit it to the head of his department.

     Why do reports even have to be compiled every week? He wasn't well versed with this work life thing but that did not mean that it didn't feel right, there was something wrong with the entire regulation. It should be at least monthly, that made more sense.

     At the moment, he is trying to make sure everything is peachy before he presents it, apparently at the privacy of his boss's office, which he has no idea where it is, nor does he know whom the boss is. Thankfully, he got some directions so he knows where it should be, although he doesn't know what to expect, having never been there.

     How did you present a report to someone? did you read everything out loud to them, or did you just drop the compiled file onto his table and make your way out of the place like you are the boss of it?

     There is just one factor that isn't making his work any easier or faster, almost pushing him to a point where he just wants to wing it and present a report straight from his head. He knew he could do it, it just might not be acceptable. Maybe if he tried to be persuasive about the situation.

     "So you come here to find fulfilment?" Kelt asks and startles Levi once again, causing him to send a few unfiled papers flying, and him struggling to catch them before they touch the floor.

     Levi finally picks up the last piece of paper, cursing under his breath at the fact that he let himself get so flustered again, making a mess of himself.

"You alright?" A disgruntled looking colleague pauses a phonecall to ask Levi.

"Just fine," he answers.

Levi then compiles everything quickly then excuses himself, leaving the papers on the table for the time being while silently willing Kelt to follow him.

     When he is out of earshot, Levi speaks in frustration. "Show yourself," he says with a sigh, as if this is something he has been doing for a very long time and this is just another day with Kelt being his best self to disorganize his day that was going well.

In actual sense, the truth is that Levi is avoiding anything to do with Kelt, and that is ever since he heard that there was supposed to be some sort of mating ritual concerning the two of them. It is Kelt who has been bugging him the entire week and trying to get him to talk about the matter he is so deliberately running away from.

     Kelt materializes out of thin air—something that Levi is still trying to get used to. There is a small smirk on his face. That smirk that lately always made something tiny tingle low in his belly. "What?" He asks like Levi brought him out for a reason unbeknownst to him.

     "Stop appearing out of nowhere, that's what," says Levi. "I'm at work, no one can see you here!"

     "Indeed. I only show myself to you," says an unbothered Kelt.

     "You could forget, what if someone else saw you?"

     Kelt crosses his arms like he is giving it some thought. "Your eyes..."

"What about my eyes?" Asks Levi, then shakes his head as if to get back on track. "That is besides the point. Yeah...uh...stop this whole thing."

Kelt looks like he is almost brooding after listening to Levi's response. Levi cannot tell whether he wants to say something cold or not, because there is suddenly a working in his jaw that he can't explain, not to mention the sudden change in the air around him. Without any warning, Kelt begins to slowly fade away until Levi is left standing there alone without any idea about what happened and why.

Levi quickly looks at his watch and realizes that there is no time left and he is running late on going to present his report to his 'superior'. He momentarily forgets about Kelt and quickly goes back to pick up his report so that he can make his way to his superior's office.

     Nothing prepares Levi for the shock that comes after he pushes the door to his superior's office open. He comes in only to find Lukas seated behind a desk, eyes furrowing before seemingly closing a window and looking up at him, a small but kind smile is slowly aimed at him. "Please, come on in and sit," says Lukas.

     "Lukas!" Levi says. "You- Am I in the right office?"

     "That depends," says Lukas. "What are you here for?"

     "The weekly report?"

     The smile widens. "Yes," he waves him over. "Right office."

     "You are head of finance? You're the CFO?" Levi asks in shock, forgetting that his voice is raised higher than he thinks it is.

     "Yes," Lukas answers calmly.

     Levi wants to get over his shock quicker so as to get on with the reason he is here, but he is having a hard time processing the simple fact that this is the same Lukas who casually walked him to his workstation on his first day and saw that he got started. The same one who then came back to urge him to relax during his lunch break and eat something, so calmly, like he was just any other worker.

But even now it seems to make more sense that as he'd come down with him, everyone remained glued to their screens and didn't say anything in what seemed like caution. There had been some tension he hadn't been able to explain...well until now. It all makes sense now as he hugs his folder closely to his chest. Lukas continues to look at him expectantly until he realizes that he must have been lost in his head, looking like a fool.

     "Lukas...uh, sir," Levi corrects. "Sorry."

     "No, please, keep calling me Lukas," he replies. "Although, I do want to hear that report."

      "Right," Levi mutters.

     He begins by placing the folder that he was clutching onto Lukas' desk—the folder contains the hard copy of the report he has compiled over the span of a week—and then he goes on to explain everything in great detail as Lukas listens intently, nodding here and there and placing his fist against the side of his mouth and giving Levi his undivided attention.

     When Levi is finished, Lukas nods and picks up the folder that was previously placed on his desk. "Good, good," he says, flicking through quickly before putting it away at the side of his table.

     "In actual sense, I do not require anyone to explain their reports. All I require is a compilation of its written form placed on my desk on time whenever it is due. I asked you to present it physically as a test of sorts. And you have met, or maybe surpassed my expectations. That was really good," says Lukas.

     "What did you expect?" Levi asks, he does not mean for it to come out so sharply, much less to his superior, but he worked hard on the report and tried to do his best, he wouldn't allow anyone to thwart his efforts.

     Thankfully, Lukas does not seem offended in the slightest. "Edith tells me you have no prior experience in the working world, much less the business world. I have to know what I'm working with before we can go any further."

     Levi does not realize that his lips are slowly forming a pout when he looks away. "I'll do my best." It is obvious to him now that Lukas knows that he got the job a little unfairly. And probably is supposed to make sure or assess whether he is cut out for the job or not. He will prove that he is.

     "Many people can do their best, Levi," Lukas leans forward to say. "The real question is: Is your best good enough?"

     "I..."

     "After the report you just made and presented, I have high expectations of you. All the more impressive is the fact that you have no work experience. But that does not mean there's room to relax because I'll be keeping an eye on you."

     Levi felt pressure build on his shoulders and he squeezes his hands together, unknowingly hiding them from Lukas. "Do you...do you fire people easily?" He asks without meeting his eyes.

     Lukas looks like he is trying not to smile but fails as for the first time, Levi catches sight of shallow dimples on his cheeks. "I do not," he replies. "There's only one thing you need to know about my department, if you want to survive in it."

     Levi listens critically. "I give a lot of chances, but lazy work is unacceptable. You'll be safe if you keep that in mind."

     "I will," Levi says with determination and his boss nods once.

     Lukas gets up from his chair and walks around to the front of his desk next to Levi. "Now that the report is out of the way, there's something I'd like to ask you." He leans on his desk and stretches his legs out and crosses them at the ankles, then folds his arms across his chest.

     Levi, who faces him, does not say anything, he waits expectantly for whatever question it is he wants to ask him.

     Lukas looks him in the eye and doesn't speak until he grabs his attention, leaving Levi no chance but to look back at him. "I'd like to take you out on a date."

"What?" Levi asks without thinking. He so easily slipped out of his work mask Oh God, this could seriously be the beginning of his love story, it could really  that is if...

"Will you go out on a date with me?" Lukas asks again. "I'm not asking as your boss, in case you got me wrong, just as a man, who finds you very attractive, and would like to get to know you better."

Levi is in disbelief. First, because Lukas just totally switched personalities in the blink of an eye. He was so serious one second, like he was the CEO himself, and the next minute asking him out.

"And...what if...what if I refuse, do I lose my job?"

     Lukas chuckled and shook his head. "Your job has nothing to do with this. I'd like you to know, if you said no, it would change nothing about the entire work dynamic. I will not treat you any differently and you will not lose your job because of me. The only thing I won't be able to promise is trying again. I can't promise not to try harder. It's only been a week but I really like you."

Levi's mouth feels dry when he swallows.  "Can I...this is really sudden and I've got a lot going on at the moment. I don't know, can I take some time to think about it?"

"By all means," says Lukas. "No pressure."

•••

     "I will presume that that was courtship," says Kelt.

     "And if it is?" Levi asks, pretending that he did not almost jump out of his skin at the sudden question. "What if I say yes to him?"

"Profoundly, it is none of my concern, as long as you do not forget that you are running away from the inevitable. The Army of Vanuus will draw near until they find you."

The Army of Noodles can suck my dick. "I don't believe they can harm me, just like you."

"There are rules of course, but like I said, these are rogues, the rules do not apply to them. They are not bound to you like I am, so they will not hesitate to crush you even if it is in your sleep. If you could only set me free..."

"I'm sorry," says Levi. "It is really important to me that my first—

"I know, I'll make it memorable for you, you don't have to worry about that. I'll let you tell me exactly how you want it."

Levi has never felt so guilty as when his eyes darted straight to Kelt's crotch then away, his cheeks burning a bright pink.

The Incubus stares curiously at Levi's face unblinking until he looks away. "Do you want me—"

"No!" Levi replies, embarrassed to no end. Then he turns his voice down a notch. "No, I don't want you."

  "Am I unattractive, do you not find me... because looks can be deceiving?"

"No, not at all," says Levi. "Wait. What is that supposed to mean?"

They are both interrupted by a tiny sound coming from Levi's right. He immediately has to pretend that he is busy with something else and not actually talking to an imaginary figure in the room.

Aiko comes into view and Levi cannot help but stare at her. She always gives him the impression of a cat, one who liked to play with yarn innocently, then scratched your eye out without warning when you got too close. So right now, he becomes cautious as she gets closer.

She stops before him and sizes him up, gracefully for some reason. "I can see it, you know."

•••

Hey! Thanks for reading! And sorry this is unedited. Will edit soon xx.