Work Text:
Its fun, it's absolutely the best job, and it involves animals. What more could a person want out of a job? Cisco's favorite part was seeing his favorite animals, Joey the kangaroo, Turnip the bear, and Sandy the tiger. He wouldn't admit it but Turnip was his all time favorite, yes he was a dangerous bear that is grumpy, but watching him munch on his food and play with his ball is something that brings him joy. Cisco does have the slight issue of one man that so happens to be standing not to far away.
"It's so hot today, I got really gopher a drink." The man says to Cisco, Cisco cringes and points to a vending machine, "Oh thank you, you're always helpful." The man pretends to not know his name and glances at his name tag, as he does every single time, "Cisco, do you happen to have a a few dollars to spare?"
"No sir."
"Shame, the water is so expensive here, they do it on porpoise." Cisco cringed, but kept his customer friendly face on. This guy comes every week, who goes to the zoo that much!? He's going to need a drink tonight.
"It is expensive, but the animals need their food." He smiled.
"That is true, what animal do you have to visit next?"
"The wolves." God please no-
"Oh what a coincidence I was going to go there next! My favorite holiday is howl-o-ween after all." Cisco internally groaned. As he started walking to the wolf enclosure. Carrying his bucket of raw rabbit meat. The guy talked on, probably saying a bunch of his dumb puns.
"Rathaway industry is thinking of publishing a wildlife magazine, featuring a zookeeper would be nice." The man hinted.
"You work there?"
"You could say that." Cisco knew what he was hinting at, but he just wanted this man to leave and go back to his office in Rathaway industry and find a different zookeeper.
"Well this is hawk-ward." The man said. Cisco couldn't help but laugh at that, the situation, the timing, everything was so stupid. And funny, "Finally! Got a little cluck-le!" Cisco laughed again, harder this time.
"You got me that time, but I have to go feed the wolves, you enjoy the rest of the zoo." Cisco went to the employee only feeding section. He couldn't believe he actually laughed at that man's pun. What made it worse was how the man's face glowed when he heard him laugh. He couldn't help but admit it was cute, something as simple and seeing him laugh made him light up. Adorable, the perfect was to describe the man. He might just take up the offer of the interview. But he still felt he needed a well deserved drink at his favorite bar. After work he walked down to the bar, that serves the best club soda and fries. He stepped in and felt the air conditioning wash over him, he found himself a stool and ordered himself a light beer to start off to get the light buzz before switching to just soda and fries while enjoying the atmosphere.
"Mind if I sit bee-side you?" Oh no. Cisco turned around.
"Are you following me!?"
"No..." That tone was suspicious as hell, "Well anyway, I was just going to grab some fries and leave, but now that you're here I might as we stay a while. How are you doing?"
"Good, oh before I forget. I'm willing to do that interview for the magazine."
"Purrfect! Here is my number." He quickly wrote it down, "Give me a call tomorrow and I'll by then have it all set up."
"Really? Call you, not just going to show up at my job tomorrow and pretend you don't go there every Saturday to tell me bad puns."
"My puns are sturge-ing!"
"That was horrible."
"No it wasn't."
"I could barely tell you were saying sturgeon."
"It was bear-able."
"Suuure. Anyway it's time for me to head home."
"Let me walk you, it's bat tonight."
"What?"
"It's bat tonight." The man said with a straight face. Cisco chuckled, giving him the opportunity to see him light up again. Cisco allowed him to walk him two blocks to his apartment. The man who he didn't even know the name of, he should get on that.
"Hey I never got your name."
"It's a sea-crit." Cisco laughed and saw the man's eyes sparkle.
"Whatever keep your sea-crit." Cisco swiped his card to open the apartment building door and waved goodbye to the mystery man. Cisco was just finishing his glass of water when he looked outside and saw a Limousine pull up and pick the mystery pun man up. No office worker can afford a limo service. Well all he can do is wait for tomorrow and give him a call. He slept and tomorrow gave the able to afford a limo service so called office worker pun man a call.
"Hello, is this the pun man?"
"Wolf-ful timing! I was just about to head into work. Why don't you come in and I can get you interviewed by the writer."
"Now!? I have work too you know."
"I'll pay you... More than your job can..."
"Okay fine, but I want answers when I get there."
"Everything will be revealed in tiger!"
"Than was horrible and I want more money for having to hear that." Cisco hung up at that and hoped for the best, he called in sick and drove over to the massive glass tower that was Rathaway Industry. Outside the front the pun man in a expensive looking suit. He greeted Cisco with a friendly wave, "What's with the suit?"
"You wanted answers, here are your answers. I am Hartley Rathaway the future CEO of Rathaway Industry." Cisco was stunned, the person that visited a zoo every week to make stupid puns just to make a zookeeper laugh, was rich? Like really rich rich?
"You- You- what?"
"I guess it is a surprise, here let's head up to my office." They took a private elevator up to the more living room like office; a couch, a tv, and a stunning view of the city.
"Why are you doing this?"
"It's nothing important, just sit back and let me ask you the questions. First, do you enjoy your job?"
"Absolutely! It's my favorite part of my day."
"Would you say being a zookeeper takes up to much time?"
"Not really. I like my job and all the animals there, also educating the public."
"How would you describe the effects the job has on your personal life, say your dating life?"
"Ummm... What kind of question is that? Why exactly are you asking that?"
"No reason. Just curious if your in a relationship."
"We'll I'm not."
"Perfect! I mean the interview, very sad you seem very nice." Hartley jumped up and reached into a cabinet to pull out a bottle of wine, "As a thanks for your patience." Hartley took out two glasses to pour the wine.
"Thank you I guess... Your weird you know."
"How so?"
"Your rich as hell, but in your spare time you visit a zoo every week to tell me dumb puns and then you follow me to a bar-"
"I didn't follow you!"
"You followed me! And then invite me to a interview to give me wine and ask about my dating life? What kind of creepy ceo are you?"
"I am not a creep!" Hartley gasped, "I guess I do sound creepy, but hear me out I'm not very skilled in this area, physics is my area of expertise, so I went with a technique that the internet taught me, the peacock, be as stand out as possible."
"So the dumb puns and following me was your, no offense, but poor attempt to flirt?" Cisco laughed, hard. Hartley's eyes lit up, Cisco's did too, "I guess I accept your offer for a date!" Cisco said between laughs.
"Guess my technique was, dare I say, purrr-fect."