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!Orlando Bloom (![[info]](http://www.journalfen.net/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} unbreakable) wrote,@ 2009-06-19 18:59:00 |
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Break up #1
[Sendhil Ramamurthyaesthetica, Santiago Cabrera notyourbitch, Hayden Panettiere encyclopediva, Orlando Bloom unbreakable, and (NPC) Justin Long. Crossposted to encyclopediva]
"Hey, Orlando!" Justin smiles brightly when he steps off the elevator. "How goes?"
He looks up from his desk and smiles. "Justin! Much better now that you're here," he admits. "Thank you so much for coming--I'm glad David could spare you."
"Anything for our biggest account," Justin says with a grin. He sets his things down on the ground next to Orlando's computer. "So your computer's the one set up with all the admin privileges," he says. "I'm not sure if Mr Cabrera ever told you that. We're the ones with the passwords. Can you spare your desk for about an hour till I get everything upgraded and working again?"
"Absolutely," Orlando says, hitting a few keystrokes and logging out of what he was doing. "I'm sure I can use Hayden's desk and forward the phones to hers until you're finished... she's barely been in her office today. Just yell out if anyone stops by the desk, and I'll come out," Orlando adds.
"Will do," Justin says. "Thanks. Oh, and Karl sends his affection."
Orlando ducks his head and looks shy, even as he smiles. "Affection? That's his wording?"
"No, but I'm a little uncomfortable flirting with another dude's boyfriend by proxy," Justin admits as he sits down at Orlando's desk.
"Understood," Orlando says, grinning at Justin. "I'll email him myself. If you need anything, I'm in earshot," he says, gathering the few things he needs and forwarding the phones before he heads off to Hayden's office. "He's at my desk--good luck," he murmurs to her, getting a wink from Hayden, who picks up the paperwork she's been going through and heads out, one hand slipping into her pocket along the way.
"Justin... it's been ages!" she says, smiling at him and reaching out to shake his hand, two fingers trailing along the inside of his wrist before she actually does grip his hand and shake. There. One less thing to worry about while Justin's there.
Hayden's always so... friendly. But Justin just grins at her. "Hey," he says. "How's the big magazine treating you, little lady?"
"Just fine, thank you for asking. It's busy, but we're doing well. And we even got Orlando a new phone, so he's getting more technologically advanced," she adds.
"A new phone? Wow, Karl didn't say." Justin pulls a shiny new modem from one of Wizard Computer's generic white bags, then holds it up. "For the ooh'ing, and ahh'ing," he says.
"Consider me ooh'ing and ahh'ing appropriately," Hayden says. "We blackberried him. There was talk of an iPhone, but a Blackberry seemed the right way to go this time. You'll forgive us for not going the way of the apple this time, won't you? I did just buy a new iPod."
Justin sighs dramatically. "Well, I suppose so," he says. He starts opening up the modem's box.
"Poor, poor thing. How do you exist all day, surrounded by PC's?" Hayden says, sighing too, and dropping into a nearby chair. This way, someone comes by the desk, she can tell Orlando, and Justin can get done more quickly. She tucks herself up onto her chair and starts reading through her pages, making notes as she goes.
"It's really difficult," Justin says. "Though we do sell a few Mac products." He opens up the router next, then crawls awkwardly under Orlando's desk. "It makes life worth living."
"What's the Wizard Computers ratio--Mac Guys to PC Guys?" Hayden asks, not looking up from her pages.
"Well, David can do either," Justin explains, from under the desk. "'Cause he's a freaking genius. And I'm a Mac guy. Lee and Henry run screaming at the idea of a Mac. Karl won't break a Mac if he pokes at it, but he shouldn't."
"Karl seems sweet. Should I be doing the 'is he good enough for our Orlando' thing, or do you think we're pretty safe there?" Hayden asks.
"We're pretty safe," Justin tells her. "He's a great guy. If I was less interested in girls, I'd date the guy."
"Really? Interesting," Hayden says, raising an eyebrow, not that Justin can tell, since he's under the desk. "You know, being interested in girls isn't a flaw," she points out. "Maybe in David's world... or Karl's. Or Orlando's."
Justin laughs. "Oh, trust me, I believe you," he says. "I'm very fond of girls. David's slightly afraid of them."
"Poor David. Maybe he's just met some very scary girls. Most of us aren't quite so terrifying."
"Hey, I know that." Justin emerges from under the desk and puts a button on its surface. "Somebody might be missing this," he says, before he disappears again.
"Huh," Hayden says, getting up and leaning forward, smiling when she recognizes the button. That's Santiago's. It didn't make it through Sendhil tearing his shirt off. "I'll make sure to return it."
"Awesome." Justin emerges again a few minutes later. "All right. Everything under there's all tidy, now to get down to business." He settles in Orlando's chair again. "This is a great chair, by the way. You guys do not skimp on the furniture."
"We spend way too long here at the office to be sitting in uncomfortable chairs," Hayden says, using a corner of Orlando's desk for the papers she's read, well out of Justin's way. "Some things are worth spending money on."
"That's how I feel about fruit," Justin says. "Also? Toothbrushes."
"Toothbrushes?" Hayden grins, tugging her chair a little closer--it's too far out of reach of the desk. "You have views on toothbrushes?"
"I have sensitive gums," Justin says with a big grin.
"Noted. Gift certificates to Oral-B for your birthday," Hayden teases, grinning wider.
"Well, aren't I just the most spoiled tech on the block."
"Hey, we may be your biggest account, but we also know how many times we'd have been pants-on-screwed without you guys," Hayden says.
"We live to serve, Miss Hayden." Justin winks at her.
"Just what I like to hear from a cute boy," she says, fluttering her lashes playfully at him, then laughing softly, going back to her papers.
Justin grins. "So what are you working on?"
"Trends and demographics," Hayden says. "We've had people doing research and polling on who's reading us and for what context... being without my computer gives me an excuse to finally get through the reports."
"So why are people reading Aesthetica?" Justin asks. "The articles?" He gives her a cheeky grin.
"In Aesthetica's case? Shockingly yes," Hayden says, laughing again. "Unless you think we need to add a swimsuit or lingerie section to our fashion report."
"I don't think I'd complain."
"Somehow? That doesn't surprise me," Hayden teases.
Before Justin can say anything in response, Sendhil says from his doorway, "Hayden. In here. Now."
"Duty calls," Hayden says, unfolding herself from her chair and waving at Justin, taking her reports with her. "You know where the fridge is if you need a drink," she adds over her shoulder, heading for Sendhil's office.
Sendhil closes the door behind her. "What the hell are you doing?" he demands.
"Orlando's using my desk while Justin's fixing the network, so I'm going through the demographic reports," Hayden says, wondering just what it is that has Sendhil in such a mood.
"That's not what I mean!" Sendhil cries. "You're--you're just letting him flirt with you! And you're flirting back. How could you?"
"What? Sendhil it's Justin from Wizard Computers. He's a nice guy, we're just goofing around," Hayden says, brushing it off. "It's not a big deal--we always flirt a little."
"Always?" Sendhil looks absolutely horrified. "You don't want me anymore!"
She stares back at him. Was Sendhil serious. "Of course I want you! It's not a big deal!"
"I understand. He's young and he's cute and he's smart," Sendhil says, lifting his chin and turning away for a moment. "Fine. You can have him."
"What do you mean? What are you saying?" Hayden stays where she is, still staring over at Sendhil.
"Have him!" Sendhil says, turning back to her again. "He's all yours. That's it. You don't want me."
"That's it?" Hayden's eyes went huge, her hands clutching tightly at the papers she's still holding. "You don't mean it."
"I do mean it. You'd rather have the little technician boy than me!"
She stares back at him for a few moments, her eyes getting wider and wider, impossibly so, before she sobs and outright bursts into tears, papers falling to the floor as she turns and runs out of Sendhil's office, the door slamming behind her.
Justin gets to his feet. "Hayden?" he calls out. "Hayden, oh my god, what's wrong?"
Orlando's out of her office seconds after the door slams shut, just in time for the tiny little blond blur to almost knock him over on her way into Santiago's office. Orlando watches her go, then looks over at Justin and sighs. "Santiago'll fix it," he promises. "Don't worry."
Santiago gets to his feet the instant he sees her. "Hayden? Sweetheart? God, what happened?"
Hayden runs flat out into Santiago's arms, wrapping around him and sobbing her little heart out. She's saying something, but it's not coming out coherently at all, not with how she's muffled against Santiago's chest.
Santiago, frowning in worry, strokes her hair, gently, again and again, letting her cry herself out. He can't understand her, but eventually he'll get some sort of explanation.
There are words--not clear ones--but they come out after awhile. There's 'Sendhil' and 'flirting' and 'Justin' and 'dumped me'. Santiago's pretty smart... in theory, he can put it together.
"Honey, did Sendhil dump you?" Santiago asks, moments later. He holds her out at arms-length--only to draw her back in again, when Sendhil comes into the room. "You brute," he says accusingly.
"Me?" Sendhil demands. "She's the one who was flirting shamelessly, the little hussy!"
Hayden shakes her head violently and bursts into a fresh round of sobs, tears soaking poor Santiago's very nice shirt.
Santiago glares fiercely at Sendhil, still stroking Hayden's hair. "How could you?" he demands.
"I--I--she was--it's--she--" Sendhil actually sounds flustered.
"I was just being nice, 'cause it's Justin, and he--he--" Hayden manages to choke out that many words, and then starts sobbing again, clinging to Santiago. "How could he think that?" she wails.
Santiago glares at Sendhil.
Sendhil shrinks back a little. "I--I take it back," he says, in a small voice.
"You'll just... you'll just do it again." Hayden looks up, cheeks flushed, eyes red, and expression utterly miserable. "You didn't believe me, you'll do this again, and it hurts," she chokes out, lip trembling.
"I won't!" Sendhil cries. "Hayden, I'll never do it again, I promise!"
She lifts her head slowly from where she's resting against Santiago's chest, sniffling a little, wanting to believe him. "You promise? You really promise that you'll believe I still want you, that it's you and Santiago and that's who I want? You promise?" She's still shaking, looking tearful and very fragile.
Sendhil nods frantically. "Yes, sweetheart, I promise," he says. "I promise, I promise. Let me buy you things!" And then he runs off. To buy things. Lots of things. Or, rather, smell people into giving them to him for his distraught girlfriend. Semantics. Whatever.
As soon as Santiago's door bangs shut behind Sendhil, Hayden abruptly stops crying, peeling away from Santiago and stretching, then dropping down onto his couch with a sigh.
Santiago leans against his desk and just stares at her.
"What?" she says, reaching for a kleenex and blowing her nose, then grinning. "I think that went well, don't you?"
*
[Sendhil Ramamurthy
aesthetica, Santiago Cabrera notyourbitch, Hayden Panettiere encyclopediva, Orlando Bloom unbreakable, and (NPC) Justin Long. Crossposted to encyclopediva]"Hey, Orlando!" Justin smiles brightly when he steps off the elevator. "How goes?"
He looks up from his desk and smiles. "Justin! Much better now that you're here," he admits. "Thank you so much for coming--I'm glad David could spare you."
"Anything for our biggest account," Justin says with a grin. He sets his things down on the ground next to Orlando's computer. "So your computer's the one set up with all the admin privileges," he says. "I'm not sure if Mr Cabrera ever told you that. We're the ones with the passwords. Can you spare your desk for about an hour till I get everything upgraded and working again?"
"Absolutely," Orlando says, hitting a few keystrokes and logging out of what he was doing. "I'm sure I can use Hayden's desk and forward the phones to hers until you're finished... she's barely been in her office today. Just yell out if anyone stops by the desk, and I'll come out," Orlando adds.
"Will do," Justin says. "Thanks. Oh, and Karl sends his affection."
Orlando ducks his head and looks shy, even as he smiles. "Affection? That's his wording?"
"No, but I'm a little uncomfortable flirting with another dude's boyfriend by proxy," Justin admits as he sits down at Orlando's desk.
"Understood," Orlando says, grinning at Justin. "I'll email him myself. If you need anything, I'm in earshot," he says, gathering the few things he needs and forwarding the phones before he heads off to Hayden's office. "He's at my desk--good luck," he murmurs to her, getting a wink from Hayden, who picks up the paperwork she's been going through and heads out, one hand slipping into her pocket along the way.
"Justin... it's been ages!" she says, smiling at him and reaching out to shake his hand, two fingers trailing along the inside of his wrist before she actually does grip his hand and shake. There. One less thing to worry about while Justin's there.
Hayden's always so... friendly. But Justin just grins at her. "Hey," he says. "How's the big magazine treating you, little lady?"
"Just fine, thank you for asking. It's busy, but we're doing well. And we even got Orlando a new phone, so he's getting more technologically advanced," she adds.
"A new phone? Wow, Karl didn't say." Justin pulls a shiny new modem from one of Wizard Computer's generic white bags, then holds it up. "For the ooh'ing, and ahh'ing," he says.
"Consider me ooh'ing and ahh'ing appropriately," Hayden says. "We blackberried him. There was talk of an iPhone, but a Blackberry seemed the right way to go this time. You'll forgive us for not going the way of the apple this time, won't you? I did just buy a new iPod."
Justin sighs dramatically. "Well, I suppose so," he says. He starts opening up the modem's box.
"Poor, poor thing. How do you exist all day, surrounded by PC's?" Hayden says, sighing too, and dropping into a nearby chair. This way, someone comes by the desk, she can tell Orlando, and Justin can get done more quickly. She tucks herself up onto her chair and starts reading through her pages, making notes as she goes.
"It's really difficult," Justin says. "Though we do sell a few Mac products." He opens up the router next, then crawls awkwardly under Orlando's desk. "It makes life worth living."
"What's the Wizard Computers ratio--Mac Guys to PC Guys?" Hayden asks, not looking up from her pages.
"Well, David can do either," Justin explains, from under the desk. "'Cause he's a freaking genius. And I'm a Mac guy. Lee and Henry run screaming at the idea of a Mac. Karl won't break a Mac if he pokes at it, but he shouldn't."
"Karl seems sweet. Should I be doing the 'is he good enough for our Orlando' thing, or do you think we're pretty safe there?" Hayden asks.
"We're pretty safe," Justin tells her. "He's a great guy. If I was less interested in girls, I'd date the guy."
"Really? Interesting," Hayden says, raising an eyebrow, not that Justin can tell, since he's under the desk. "You know, being interested in girls isn't a flaw," she points out. "Maybe in David's world... or Karl's. Or Orlando's."
Justin laughs. "Oh, trust me, I believe you," he says. "I'm very fond of girls. David's slightly afraid of them."
"Poor David. Maybe he's just met some very scary girls. Most of us aren't quite so terrifying."
"Hey, I know that." Justin emerges from under the desk and puts a button on its surface. "Somebody might be missing this," he says, before he disappears again.
"Huh," Hayden says, getting up and leaning forward, smiling when she recognizes the button. That's Santiago's. It didn't make it through Sendhil tearing his shirt off. "I'll make sure to return it."
"Awesome." Justin emerges again a few minutes later. "All right. Everything under there's all tidy, now to get down to business." He settles in Orlando's chair again. "This is a great chair, by the way. You guys do not skimp on the furniture."
"We spend way too long here at the office to be sitting in uncomfortable chairs," Hayden says, using a corner of Orlando's desk for the papers she's read, well out of Justin's way. "Some things are worth spending money on."
"That's how I feel about fruit," Justin says. "Also? Toothbrushes."
"Toothbrushes?" Hayden grins, tugging her chair a little closer--it's too far out of reach of the desk. "You have views on toothbrushes?"
"I have sensitive gums," Justin says with a big grin.
"Noted. Gift certificates to Oral-B for your birthday," Hayden teases, grinning wider.
"Well, aren't I just the most spoiled tech on the block."
"Hey, we may be your biggest account, but we also know how many times we'd have been pants-on-screwed without you guys," Hayden says.
"We live to serve, Miss Hayden." Justin winks at her.
"Just what I like to hear from a cute boy," she says, fluttering her lashes playfully at him, then laughing softly, going back to her papers.
Justin grins. "So what are you working on?"
"Trends and demographics," Hayden says. "We've had people doing research and polling on who's reading us and for what context... being without my computer gives me an excuse to finally get through the reports."
"So why are people reading Aesthetica?" Justin asks. "The articles?" He gives her a cheeky grin.
"In Aesthetica's case? Shockingly yes," Hayden says, laughing again. "Unless you think we need to add a swimsuit or lingerie section to our fashion report."
"I don't think I'd complain."
"Somehow? That doesn't surprise me," Hayden teases.
Before Justin can say anything in response, Sendhil says from his doorway, "Hayden. In here. Now."
"Duty calls," Hayden says, unfolding herself from her chair and waving at Justin, taking her reports with her. "You know where the fridge is if you need a drink," she adds over her shoulder, heading for Sendhil's office.
Sendhil closes the door behind her. "What the hell are you doing?" he demands.
"Orlando's using my desk while Justin's fixing the network, so I'm going through the demographic reports," Hayden says, wondering just what it is that has Sendhil in such a mood.
"That's not what I mean!" Sendhil cries. "You're--you're just letting him flirt with you! And you're flirting back. How could you?"
"What? Sendhil it's Justin from Wizard Computers. He's a nice guy, we're just goofing around," Hayden says, brushing it off. "It's not a big deal--we always flirt a little."
"Always?" Sendhil looks absolutely horrified. "You don't want me anymore!"
She stares back at him. Was Sendhil serious. "Of course I want you! It's not a big deal!"
"I understand. He's young and he's cute and he's smart," Sendhil says, lifting his chin and turning away for a moment. "Fine. You can have him."
"What do you mean? What are you saying?" Hayden stays where she is, still staring over at Sendhil.
"Have him!" Sendhil says, turning back to her again. "He's all yours. That's it. You don't want me."
"That's it?" Hayden's eyes went huge, her hands clutching tightly at the papers she's still holding. "You don't mean it."
"I do mean it. You'd rather have the little technician boy than me!"
She stares back at him for a few moments, her eyes getting wider and wider, impossibly so, before she sobs and outright bursts into tears, papers falling to the floor as she turns and runs out of Sendhil's office, the door slamming behind her.
Justin gets to his feet. "Hayden?" he calls out. "Hayden, oh my god, what's wrong?"
Orlando's out of her office seconds after the door slams shut, just in time for the tiny little blond blur to almost knock him over on her way into Santiago's office. Orlando watches her go, then looks over at Justin and sighs. "Santiago'll fix it," he promises. "Don't worry."
Santiago gets to his feet the instant he sees her. "Hayden? Sweetheart? God, what happened?"
Hayden runs flat out into Santiago's arms, wrapping around him and sobbing her little heart out. She's saying something, but it's not coming out coherently at all, not with how she's muffled against Santiago's chest.
Santiago, frowning in worry, strokes her hair, gently, again and again, letting her cry herself out. He can't understand her, but eventually he'll get some sort of explanation.
There are words--not clear ones--but they come out after awhile. There's 'Sendhil' and 'flirting' and 'Justin' and 'dumped me'. Santiago's pretty smart... in theory, he can put it together.
"Honey, did Sendhil dump you?" Santiago asks, moments later. He holds her out at arms-length--only to draw her back in again, when Sendhil comes into the room. "You brute," he says accusingly.
"Me?" Sendhil demands. "She's the one who was flirting shamelessly, the little hussy!"
Hayden shakes her head violently and bursts into a fresh round of sobs, tears soaking poor Santiago's very nice shirt.
Santiago glares fiercely at Sendhil, still stroking Hayden's hair. "How could you?" he demands.
"I--I--she was--it's--she--" Sendhil actually sounds flustered.
"I was just being nice, 'cause it's Justin, and he--he--" Hayden manages to choke out that many words, and then starts sobbing again, clinging to Santiago. "How could he think that?" she wails.
Santiago glares at Sendhil.
Sendhil shrinks back a little. "I--I take it back," he says, in a small voice.
"You'll just... you'll just do it again." Hayden looks up, cheeks flushed, eyes red, and expression utterly miserable. "You didn't believe me, you'll do this again, and it hurts," she chokes out, lip trembling.
"I won't!" Sendhil cries. "Hayden, I'll never do it again, I promise!"
She lifts her head slowly from where she's resting against Santiago's chest, sniffling a little, wanting to believe him. "You promise? You really promise that you'll believe I still want you, that it's you and Santiago and that's who I want? You promise?" She's still shaking, looking tearful and very fragile.
Sendhil nods frantically. "Yes, sweetheart, I promise," he says. "I promise, I promise. Let me buy you things!" And then he runs off. To buy things. Lots of things. Or, rather, smell people into giving them to him for his distraught girlfriend. Semantics. Whatever.
As soon as Santiago's door bangs shut behind Sendhil, Hayden abruptly stops crying, peeling away from Santiago and stretching, then dropping down onto his couch with a sigh.
Santiago leans against his desk and just stares at her.
"What?" she says, reaching for a kleenex and blowing her nose, then grinning. "I think that went well, don't you?"
