Chapter Text
His inbox was down to three unread emails, all the others sorted into individual folders based on project and after that flagged in order of importance. Next week’s meetings were scheduled and his expense report from the previous week’s summit in London was submitted. Accounts Payable always appreciated his organized receipts but they never failed to berate him when he sent in his expenses past ten days.
Ignis rolled backwards in his high-backed office chair and breathed a long sigh. It was Friday night and he was looking forward to catching a late hot yoga class on his way home and spending some quality time with his DVR; he still hadn't caught up with the shows he had recorded over the holidays. He had been traveling so much that he couldn't even remember which episode of Westworld he had left off on.
“Five-thirty; not bad for a Friday at quarter end,” he said to himself, and from his doorway he heard a response.
“Still here, Ignis. Your dedication doesn't go unnoticed.” Ardyn Izunia stood in the doorway, arms folded over his chest.
“You're actually in the office for once,” Ignis replied, “your presence doesn't go unnoticed.”
“Ah, you know, I prefer to be out with prospects and partners rather than cooped up in this office,” Ardyn shrugged. “Were you headed out?”
“I was,” Ignis said tentatively. This wouldn't be the first time that Ardyn had asked him to work late on a weekend or handle an early meeting because he had something else he would rather be doing. “Why do you ask?”
“Don't be so cautious. I thought you might like to get a drink with me. My plans changed at the last minute and you didn't have anything on the schedule, I'm sure.”
Ignis rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I had plans,” he replied. Ardyn had no need to know how mundane they were.
“Aw, come on. You're so boring. Remember the last time I took you out for a drink?” Ardyn cocked his head to the side playfully.
Ignis certainly remembered, and still had a scar from Ardyn's teeth on his inner thigh in case he tried to forget. “It's been over a year. What makes you bring this up now?” He eyed his executive Vice President suspiciously. He was under no delusion that what he and his boss had was anything more than stress relief and indulging each other in a mutual kink or two; at the same time, Ignis hadn't had time to date recently and was on the verge of sacrificing his better judgement if Ardyn was truly looking for something temporary that night.
However, while Ardyn had never been specific with Ignis about his personal life, Ignis was also fairly sure his libertine superior was involved in some type of relationship, based on absences, hushed phone conversations, and packages that had arrived for his boss at the office. The receptionist had brought a couple of them to Ignis while Ardyn had been out of the office for a week, and after opening one and finding designer sex toys, he decided he was never opening another box with his boss’s name on it unless his job was at stake.
“I’m bringing it up because I want to have a couple of drinks with the best VP of strategic acquisitions that I ever fucked on top of my desk,” Ardyn spoke quietly, in case the office wasn't as empty as they thought it was.
“That was before I was your VP of strategic acquisitions,” Ignis pointed out evenly, ignoring Ardyn’s vulgarity. The memory of the smooth lacquered wood beneath his bare chest and in his hands as Ardyn’s face was buried in his ass was a mental image that he still used to fuel his fire when he was jerking off. As much as Ignis still found Ardyn attractive, if his boss was actually in a relationship as he assumed, he wasn't going to allow Ardyn to rekindle old feelings.
“Details,” Ardyn waved his hand dismissively and Ignis blinked. His boss was, as always, equal parts slime and sexy. Textbook Ardyn Izunia.
“Fine,” Ignis sighed, “one drink. Then I'm going home,” he added for good measure.
“Splendid.” Ardyn turned for the door of Ignis’s office, “Let me grab my coat.”
Ignis shut off his computer, popping the laptop off the dock and tucking it into his Hermes briefcase. Before he shut the lights off he cleaned his glasses, checked his hair in the mirror that hung on the back of his office door, and straightened the collar stays in his shirt. No reason to look sloppy, even for a social outing he didn't want to participate in.
---
The two men walked briskly down the bustling Manhattan sidewalk towards their destination. It was only three blocks from the office, so Ignis barely had time to warm up before they arrived in front of a modern-looking restaurant with an industrial feel to the exterior, dark wood and metal patina and glass.
“Hammerhead?” Ignis said, looking up at the sign on the awning at the restaurant. “I've heard of this place, seems like your assistant is always making reservations here.”
“It's one of my favorites,” Ardyn’s smile gleamed under the street lamp. “Unfortunately, they won't bump another table, even for me, but you don't mind sitting at the bar, do you?”
“Not for one drink,” Ignis was fairly sure at this point that Ardyn had had some type of ulterior motive; then again, in all the years he had worked with and for Ardyn, he couldn't remember a time when the older man didn't have something up his sleeve. That combined with his charisma and good looks was made him so successful in everything he did.
Ardyn opened the door for Ignis; he entered the busy restaurant with his boss at his heels. The hostess smiled at Ignis, and upon seeing Ardyn blinked nervously. “Good evening, Mr. Izunia. I don't think I have a table in...uh, your preferred section tonight, and I don't see that you have a reservation.”
“That's all right, Iris,” he said in his dismissive way. “My colleague and I are just here for a drink. We’ll sit at the bar.”
“Oh,” she replied, her posture relaxing slightly. “Feel free to seat yourself, then.”
Ignis glanced over his shoulder at the flustered girl as he followed Ardyn to the bar, taking a seat at one of the pub tables. “What was that?”
“I told you, I'm a regular here,” Ardyn said casually. His eyes scanned the room and his face broke into a smile at the sight of a slender young waiter with a mop of dark hair and a clearly forced smile on his face. “Excuse me,” he said, raising his hand at the waiter as he walked past.
The waiter stopped in front of their table, and while he spoke to Ardyn, Ignis noticed the young man surreptitiously glancing at him every time there was a break in the conversation. He didn't pay attention to what his boss was saying to the waiter; probably trying to cut some type of deal to get a table even though they wouldn't be staying for dinner. Instead, Ignis took the opportunity to examine the exchange between the waiter and Ardyn. While his exterior was cool and detached, Ignis had uncanny observational skills in social situations; this combined with his attention to detail contributed to his success in his position. His boss had a familiar tone to his normally aloof voice, and Ignis could have sworn that the waiter had a flush running up the back of his neck from beneath the collar of his charcoal grey shirt. The waiter was a good-looking guy, full of slightly gothy, boy-next-door charm. Ardyn had good taste, although he wondered offhandedly why a man of his boss’s status would have such a profound interest in a waiter when he could have his pick of the Manhattan elite.
“Ignis,” Ardyn said, bringing him out of his analytical reverie, “what would you like to drink?”
“MacAllan 18 Year, if you have it,” he replied. “Neat.”
The waiter nodded and smiled. “One of my favorites. I'll go put these in at the bar for you and I'll have your actual waiter come by a little later on. Unfortunately this isn't my section.” He glanced pointedly at Ardyn when he said the last part.
When the waiter departed towards the bar, Ignis set his hand underneath his chin and looked pointedly at Ardyn. “Let me guess,” he started, and his boss blinked innocently, “that man is either the reason I've been running your early morning meetings for the last year, or he’s about to be that reason.”
“Was it so obvious?” The corner of Ardyn's mouth turned up into a mischievous smile. “I saw you looking at him too. Noctis is quite a catch, isn't he?”
“Is he your boyfriend, or…?” Ignis asked casually.
Ardyn smiled and shrugged lightly. “We’re not much for titles. I’m rather fond of him in a variety of ways, and he feels similarly about me.”
Ignis pursed his lips. So his name was Noctis. “You’re not going to ask me to give Noctis a job, are you? Because whether or not you're intimate with him has no bearing on my decision as to who to hire for my open senior analyst position.”
A different waiter came by with Ignis’s scotch and Ardyn's Pinot Noir, leaving them on the table. Ignis reached for his wallet, and Ardyn caught his hand in his own. “My invitation,” he said, and produced several bills. “No, I'm not asking you to hire him. I'm well acquainted with his talents and I assure you, P&L analysis is not amongst his strong points. Besides, it's already distracting enough having you at the office with me,” Ardyn grinned. “I’d be in an uncomfortable position if you were both there.”
“So...why bring me here to flirt with me in front of your boyfriend, then? I don't really appreciate being used as a means to an end, and I've got better things to do than get in the middle of whatever relationship issue-”
“My only relationship issue is that as fond as I am of him, I can't forget how much I enjoy being with you,” Ardyn took a sip of his wine and glanced conspiratorially at Ignis over the top of his glass. “I have a proposition for you.”
Ignis swirled his scotch in his glass and sipped the liquor thoughtfully. He didn't completely trust Ardyn but wanted to hear him out before making any decisions. “Go on,” he said, recognizing the look on Ardyn’s face from any number of meetings. It was the face he made when he was confident that he had his prey in his sights, all he needed to do was close the deal.
“What's your take on him? Noctis, I mean?”
“Are you really asking me if I think your...whatever he may be, is hot? Are you a fifteen year old girl?” Ignis raised his eyebrows over the wire rims of his glasses.
“Do you really talk to your boss in that manner?” Ardyn took another sip of wine, narrowing his golden brown eyes at Ignis.
“I do when he opts to involve me in his sex life,” Ignis replied, his exterior nonplussed. Internally, he was caught between irritation and intrigue, which basically summed up his entire personal and professional relationship with Ardyn. “I feel like you've been trying to proposition me ever since we left the office, to be perfectly honest. Is that what you're doing?”
“In a manner of speaking. I had an idea, you could say. Perhaps a wild delusion, but nothing ventured, nothing gained,” Ardyn continued. “Given the chance, would you be interested in sleeping with him?”
Ignis nearly spit out his scotch but managed to maintain his composure. “What kind of question is that?” He removed his glasses and rubbed his forehead. Of all the topics Ignis expected to discuss with his superior, this was very low on the list.
“One that I’m curious to know the answer to. He's excellent in bed, Ignis.” Ardyn was completely shameless in his offer, as if Noctis was a car in his collection that Ignis wanted to take for a spin.
“This isn't some kind of indecent proposal? You’re not trying to trade sexual favors with your...whatever for something from me?” Ignis was still incredulous at Ardyn's audacity, despite knowing him fairly well on and off the boardroom table. “How does Noctis feel about this?” Ignis took a long swallow of his scotch.
“No strings attached. That's one of the things I appreciate about our relationship outside of the office. I just want to be with two attractive men at the same time. And he and I haven't discussed it yet. Noctis looks naive, but don't be mistaken. He's asked independently for things I never would have expected of him. The internet is a wonderful thing, I suppose. However you slice it, this has been a very pleasant year and I'd love to have you as a part of that.”
Ignis sighed. Nothing was ever truly “no strings attached” with Ardyn, and he knew he shouldn't say yes. On the other hand, Ardyn was a difficult man to refuse and Noctis was very much Ignis’s type; small build, dark hair, beautiful blue eyes, sulky yet vulnerable face that meant he probably really liked cuddling but would never admit to it. “Let me know what the two of you decide. I'm not investing anything in this without inclination that it will go somewhere. And give me more than twenty minutes’ notice next time,” he finally replied with an amicable, brief warning.
Ardyn smiled, clearly satisfied with the outcome of the conversation. “Fantastic,” he replied. “Now that personal business is out of the way, let’s discuss the meeting we have on Monday with Aldercapt. I think we’re about to make headway with acquiring Accordo LLC, and we need to make sure GTC Nifelheim is on our side.”
Ignis nodded. This was the type of business conversation that Ignis had expected of his boss, not the proposition of a threesome with Ardyn’s significant other that Ignis hadn’t even been properly introduced to. He spent the next half hour drinking expensive scotch and discussing their final bid strategy while keeping a close eye on Noctis, watching his movements, gestures, and reactions to the tables he waited on. Once or twice, he saw Noctis look in their direction, and each time Ignis made a point to glance back at the very least. He held his liquor reasonably well, but scotch was potent and towards the bottom of the glass, he flashed Noctis a smile when he saw the young waiter eyeing him from the bar.
Their wordless flirting didn't escape Ardyn’s watchful eye, and Ignis saw the satisfied flicker in his boss’s eye when he caught sight of Ignis and Noctis exchanging glances. Ardyn tried to call their waiter over to request another round, but Ignis politely declined, knowing that another drink was a mistake for many reasons. Draining the last of the scotch in his glass, Ignis reached for his coat. “Thanks for the drink,” he said.
“So soon?” Ardyn teased. “You and Noctis were just about to hit it off.”
“I’m heading out now,” Ignis emphasized the last word, buttoning his navy blue wool trench coat and wrapping his cashmere scarf around his face. “I’ll see you Monday,” he added pointedly.
“Perhaps sooner,” Ardyn added conspiratorially.
Ignis smiled behind the cover of his scarf. “Have a good night, Ardyn.” He hailed a cab outside Hammerhead and for the ride back, thought of the afternoon that Ardyn had blown him under his desk while he took notes on a WebEx meeting, and their leisurely fuck on top of the executive boardroom table. Ignis told himself every time that sex with Ardyn was a bad decision, but whatever doubt he had invariably slipped away at about the same time Ardyn slipped his hands down Ignis’s tailored pants.
The taxi dropped him off at his Upper East Side condominium just before he was hard enough for anyone to notice. Ignis couldn't wait to get in the door, pour another glass of scotch and picture Noctis, with those deep blue eyes staring up at Ignis from between his knees, attending to Ignis’s arousal with his soft hands and skilled mouth.
Hot yoga would have to wait until tomorrow. He was already sweating too much for comfort.