Chapter 4

a/n: a bonus update as my belated xmas and new year present and also to make up for my missed updates 😬❤

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Chapter 4 — Nice Guy

Just when Liam starts to think his new boss may not be a thorough asshole, he manages to prove him wrong.

Liam heads out during lunch to get food for himself and also his boss and his friend who came in just as Liam was about to leave. At least, the friend seems much nicer compared to his boss, and he isn't bad on the eyes either.

Liam shakes his head at himself — this is ridiculous. He can't be finding every man attractive just because he is single now, but also why not? He is single. And both of those men are attractive, although one of them is outrightly arrogant.

"–nothing more than a tight ass–," he hears just as he returns to his boss' office with lunch, "–who will tend to my errands daily," and he knows the dickface is talking about him.

"Oh, really?" Liam cuts in, and an eyebrow cocked challengingly.

The friend, Rufus — he recalls his name from the short introduction they've exchanged, raises his hands, shrugging as if to say — I'm not involved in this. Aaron stares at Liam, lips parted, his words stuck in his throat. He hasn't expected for his new assistant to be back so soon.

"Well then, I'm happy to be assisting you," Liam chooses to say snidely, dumping the bags on his table before walking out, this time making sure to slam the door on his way out.

He is left to his own devices for the next hour and he finds it peaceful not to have to deal with the dickface. The tasks that he has to do are not that demanding either, so he finds himself relaxing, that is until his boss and his friend walk out of his office laughing over something.

Liam realises this is the first time he is hearing him laugh, and... it's not a bad sound, but he is not going to pay attention to it. He keeps his attention trained on his desktop, typing away a reply to an email. He only stops when Rufus knocks lightly on his desk, and looks up.

Rufus has the kind of face which has a smile permanently affixed on it and Liam can't help but smile back. He also has a really calming presence, unlike his friend.

"Just wanted to say goodbye. And thank you for the lunch; I was starving,"

"Oh, don't mention it. Good to know at least someone around here don't have to be taught their manners," Liam directs his eyes over to his boss pointedly.

The aforementioned man is leaning against his doorframe, watching the exchange between his assistant and his friend and rolls his eyes at that pointed comment.

"Didn't you say you were running late for something, Rufus?" he asks his friend.

Rufus who is very much entertained by the exchange covers his mouth with his arm, to keep himself from laughing further, nodding, "Yeah. Bye, you two, then," he takes his leave, but not before shooting Liam a wink.

Liam eyebrows lift a little and smiles to himself — just when he was disappointedly entertaining the possibility of Rufus being straight. He hears his boss scoff, still standing by the door of his office.

"He is nice," Liam says as he resumes his typing.

He doesn't expect for his superior to reply, and is surprised when he does, "Well, looks can be deceiving,"

He, once again, stops his typing and looks up, "Tell me about it," he wishes he can control his eyes movement; they do a sweep of his boss, up and down.

There is no way that he would have missed it either, and by the way, the dickface stands up straighter, it is more than obvious that he noticed Liam not so subtly checking him out.

Liam starts thinking now what are the odds of this man being straight when he says:

"I'll have you know I'm the nicest guy around here,"

What is he exactly trying to prove here?

And it looks like his boss isn't too sure either, since he rubs the back of his neck, dropping his gaze to the floor.

Liam quickly fills the silence by scoffing, "Uh, sure," he changes the topic, needing to remind himself that this is his boss and he is at work, and he is supposed to be starting over.

He fills in his boss regarding the emails he's answered and also on the updates to certain meetings he had specified before. He also informs him that he had arranged his meetings in his calendar in a more accessible and comprehensible manner, since it was a proper mess before. Liam looks up at him when he's finished filling in regarding everything that he's done so far and asks if he needs anything further from him.

He's slightly surprised when he notices the look on latter's face, and raises his eyebrows in question, "I'm sorry; did I forget or miss anything?"

He shakes his head as if snapped out of a trance and just mumbles a small, "No," before disappearing back into his office.

Liam scoffs to himself once again — if only it were the kids, he would have dragged them out by their ear and demanded them to say a thank you. But this is his boss, and he just grumbles to himself, continuing with his work.

He doesn't come out of his office for the rest of the day, or calls Liam for anything, and he can't be more grateful. Liam pretty much sits idly for the last hour of his work since he's finished with doing everything he has to do, and gets up from his seat eagerly once the shorter hand on the clock is on five and the longer one is on twelve.

He knocks on the office door before leaving, and his boss yells, "Come in,"

Liam pokes his head in and sees him on his computer, looking at the screen intently. He's taken off his coat and hung it on the back of his chair and is only in his shirt, and his hair looks like he has run his hand through it one too many times.

"Hey," Liam clears his throat, "I'm taking my leave. Just thought you should know,"

He turns to Liam, blinking confusedly for a second before checking the time on his watch, and then lets out a low breath, "Yeah, okay. On some days, you might have stay late though,"

Liam shakes his head, opening the door wide, stepping in, "No, I can't," he grimaces, "That is my one limitation and I have stated it beforehand. I have kids to get back to,"

"Kids?" Aaron practically spits the word out, the surprise in his face very much blatant.

"Yes, kids," Liam gives him a small nod, and then crosses his arms across his chest, and quirks an eyebrow challengingly, "Is there something wrong with that?"

"What? No, no," he quickly covers, clearing his throat, "I just didn't­–," he cuts himself off, shaking his head, "Can't your partner take care of them till you get back?"

Liam exhales a long sigh, dropping his arms to his sides, "They're not actually my kids — they're my sister's. My sister is currently, uh... indisposed and I've been helping her out," he explains, before rubbing a hand down his face, "Look, I've been transparent about my limitations from the start. If you can't afford them, maybe it's better if you tell me right now and we part ways,"

Although Liam sounds completely certain, he is actually not. He doesn't want to be fired — his boss might be a little bit of an ass, but other than that he has no complaints about this job really. It actually suits him quite well.

Aaron seems to take a few minutes to think about it and Liam's hopes slowly dwindles. He starts to turn around, ready to leave — surely it can't mean a good thing if his boss remains silent for a few good minutes.

However, Aaron stops Liam, surprising not only Liam, but also himself, "Okay, fine. We'll work around it," he even shoots Liam a teasing smile, "You're welcome,"

Liam only rolls his eyes in return, before nodding, keeping his smile tucked away until he is out of his boss' view.

Okay, maybe his boss may not be a thorough asshole after all.

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Liam is only able to fully relax once he is parked in front of his sister's house and his little four-year-old niece comes barging out the door to greet him.

"Uncle is back! Uncle is back!" she chants clinging onto his leg and Liam laughs bending down to pick her up, before walking into the house.

"How was my princess' first day at school?" he asks, pinching her nose lightly between his fingers.

"Okay," she lifts her shoulders before dropping them.

"Only okay?" he looks at her carefully, instantly worried that something might have happened to her while she was away.

"Yeah. I missed you there. And Claude. And granny. And mum. Can we all go together tomorrow?" she looks at him, eyes wide in a pleading look.

Liam huffs out a laugh, "Sure. Anything for my princess," he decides he will explain it to her later the works of a school.

His mother, Anne, comes before him and takes Tania from him and puts her down, "Off you go. Let your uncle freshen up first,"

Tania shoots her a dirty look but turns around and runs away quietly.

"Hey, ma," Liam smiles at the older woman, loosening his tie, "Thanks for being here. I am looking for a babysitter, I swear,"

Anne shuts him up with a hit to the back of his head. Liam hisses, rubbing the spot.

"You know I don't mind looking after the kids. If you needed any reminder, they are my grandkids too,"

"Right, right. But that's not what I meant. I just didn't want to burden yo–," he moved away just in time to avoid another hit from his mother, "Okay, I won't say anything about it no more."

"Good. Now, go clean up,"

"Yes, ma'am," he bids her a salute, before disappearing down the hallway away from his mother.

He pops his head inside his sister's room and finds her on her bed. Claude is there as well, reading aloud from a book in his hand. He stops when he notices Liam, and Liam gives him a small smile, and gestures at him to continue, before leaving. He feels proud of his nephew; he can be sure that no one has told Claude to read a book to his mother, and that that was of his own accord. The kid's got a very sensible heart.

Only then, he goes up to his room. Around twenty minutes later, after he's showered and changed into more comfortable clothes, he returns downstairs. Both Claude and Tania are in the living room watching TV. He finds his mother in the kitchen, a cup of tea ready in her hand.

He takes it from her graciously, letting out a satisfied sigh as he takes his first sip.

"Please don't hit me. But seriously thank you so much for helping me out today, ma,"

She clicks her tongue, shaking her head, "Just tell me how was your work today?"

Liam contemplates if he should tell her everything, "It was... interesting,"

She looks at him inquisitively, eyebrows raised, "You know you've got to tell me more than that, right?"

Liam laughs, nodding, and fills her in regarding everything that happened earlier that day. He tells her everything, except for one miniscule, totally not essential information — although his boss is a dickhead, he does make Liam's heart race a little every time he's nearby. He is sure that is only because he is fresh out of a rather long relationship and is still getting used to being alone.

Yeah, he is sure it is only that.

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