Rory woke up to the shrill ringing from the telephone on his nightstand table. It was most likely the wake up call he asked for the night before. 

Letting out a groan, Rory picked up the phone and offered a hasty thank you before slamming it back down on the receiver and flinging the covers off him. 

Today was the start of a new life. He wasn't sure if Kei knew how much his offer of a job truly meant to him. Sure, Rory had quite the laissez-faire attitude most of the time—okay, all of the time—but he seriously did care about his life and his future. He was a little scared not knowing where he would end up. He didn't want to become like his parents. 

Shaking away those dark thoughts, Rory went through his morning routine then changed into a business casual suit that consisted of a deep purple button-down and black dress pants. 

Kei mentioned he didn't want Rory to dress too formally. 

By the time he was dressed and ate breakfast, it was around 7:40 in the morning. Not wanting to be late, Rory gathered up his wallet and phone before heading to Ink Publishing. 

It wasn't a long walk and by the time he arrived, he had ten minutes to spare. 

He was waved through by the front desk attendant who looked mildly pissed at his existence. Rory had to bite back a smirk as he passed her desk. 

When he reached the thirtieth floor, he was a bit nervous to see Kei again. This was his first time working a job like this and he had no idea what to expect or even what his responsibilities would be. He honestly accepted the job because he was a man on a mission trying to prove to whoever pissed him off that he would make something of himself. 

So here he was, trying to do just that. 

He was surprised to see Kei casually leaning against the reception desk, adorned in a crisp black suit with a blue dress shirt. 

"Good morning," Rory greeted in what he hoped was a friendly voice.

"Good morning, Rory." Kei replied with a bright smile. "I'm very pleased you accepted my offer." 

Rory felt himself smiling back, feeling a bit at odds with himself since he wasn't butting heads with anyone. "I really appreciate the offer." 

Kei's eyes sparked with an emotion Rory couldn't place before he pushed off the wall and gestured for him to follow. 

"I'm sure you’re curious as to what you'll be doing as my assistant." Kei started after he pushed open the doors to his large office. 

Rory nodded the affirmative. 

"The filing cabinets lined up on this wall all belong to my personal clients. They're broken down by company and then by alphabetical order. Each colored file represents the different stages of contract we're in. I'll give you more information on that later. 

"I'll mainly have you sort through all my paperwork and file them accordingly. Occasionally, you'll have to send out a few emails, run some errands, and perhaps do a little editing after you've been here for a while. You'll also be in charge of my schedule. I'm not expecting you to schedule any meetings for me, but you'll be in charge of updating it as meetings come and reminding me of things regardless of whether or not I remember. 

"You'll also be in charge of answering the phone and directing people to the right places. No one is allowed in my office unless they have a scheduled meeting with me. Should you find yourself being pestered at the desk, you may call me so that I can rectify the situation." 

Rory was a bit taken back by all the information thrown his way but he was never one to back down from a job, no matter how difficult it seemed. 

Kei met Rory's eyes. "Any questions?" 

Rory broke eye contact for a second. Those ice colored eyes became more intense the longer he looked. "Is it okay if I ask you questions along the way, just until I understand everything?" 

Kei took a second to reply. He closed the distance between them, stopping about a foot away. "Of course." 

Rory was startled to hear him so close. He looked up and was nearly startled to death with how close Kei was. "Thank you." 

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck shit fuck damn....

Rory's mind was a mess. 

"You're very welcome," Kei replied, his voice smooth. "Now, for your first assignment, I want you to familiarize yourself with all the companies I personally work with as well as familiarize yourself with my filing system. Most of the data is on the computer at your desk. Later, I'll have you start organizing and filing documents for me." 

Rory nodded his head in understanding, breaking eye contact again. Seriously, what was with him? He never got this flustered around people before, especially his boss! 

He let out a surprised breath when he felt cool fingers lift his chin up. Icy eyes locked onto his, seeming to look right to his very soul. 

"It's your first day, Rory. I'll go easy on you and slowly increase your workload. Besides," Kei added as he dropped his hand and took a step back, "I know you'll do great." 

Rory wasn't sure how to respond other than muttering another thank you. The touch had been unexpected but not invasive. He would have worried had he not backed away. 

Despite the uneasiness that had built up, Rory was excited as he followed Kei out to the reception desk and got to work. He watched Kei return to his office with a slight frown before the doors clicked shut. 

He turned to the desktop and let out the grin he had been holding back since yesterday. 

Finally, he thought in relief. Finally.