Chapter Text
It wasn't the first, and it definitely won't be the last time Admin's personality got him in trouble.
He never really got it. What's the point of living this life if you can't make it interesting for yourself? Yes, obviously, there is a line somewhere in there if you squint, between harmless fun and teasing, and making things snowball so hard and fast that you accidentally ruin someone's life.
Now, Admin wasn't stupid.
Like an acrobat, he's become an absolute professional at treading that wire, balancing his weight between hilarious and acceptable, and I'm actually going to kill you and bury your body where no one will ever find you.
Besides, that wasn't Admin's style. He wasn't a sadistic or mean person, he just... absolutely reveled in the feeling in his stomach when he found the perfect person to tease and prank, watching their face twist in confusion, then slowly melt with realization, and then boom, Admin's favorite part: the person in question laughing so hard they double over, all while calling him an insufferable asshole.
The thing was... he just loved making people laugh their hearts out. Call him a class clown and watch him honk the fake red nose. There was no point in having fun at someone else's expense if it will harm them, and if he knew they wouldn't be down for it. As concluded, there was a line.
And well.
He won't lie.
This time, he didn't only cross it.
He fucking slid over that thing like he was playing baseball.
He'd like to say that it started innocent enough, but actually it started with an actual evil cackle.
That morning, during a particularly fruitful Zoom meeting with the social media team, an idea popped into his mind so naturally that it halted his entire train of thought. And, of course, it started with Liam.
Liam.
Admin could say a thing or two about Liam, but he probably shouldn't.
Over the past couple of years, he has been working for VCARB as a social media admin on Tiktok. It's been fun, it's been stressful – you get the jist. It's a job, and it's a good one. He gets to make funny videos for a living? Sign him the fuck up. But that wasn't the point. Because even if it was the shittiest job on the fucking planet, Admin wasn't sure he could drop it at this point. He's made such friends along the way, people he literally couldn't imagine his day to day life without. And among them, all those amazing newfound friends? Liam Lawson.
That blonde heart-stopping New Zealander wormed his way into Admin's heart and under his skin so subtly, the man almost didn't even notice it. And why was this the case? It's comical. It's tragic. It's been written in heavens as far as Admin was concerned.
Because Liam was, unfortunately, 100% his type.
Looks? Check.
Sweet? Check.
Athletic? Check.
And most importantly...
When it comes to practical jokes, as naive as a fucking toddler.
Admin couldn't remember the last time he had this much fun teasing someone in his life. And he gets paid to do it?! What has he done in his last life to be reincarnated into this heaven, he'll never know.
Liam and him have grown closer over time. In the beginning, as it goes with anything else, there was warming up to be done. Admin likes to test boundaries with new people, to push them just a little bit further until he hits a wall, which he will respect to a fault. But, until the wall comes along, it's open season. And with Liam...
The wall just simply never came.
Screaming for his autograph from a sea of fans, following him around with a phone, asking him ridiculous questions like would you still love me if I was a worm, generally annoying him 24/7. There came a point where he caught himself wondering would this next stupid thing I found on Tiktok finally break the magic?
He got his answer with the good boy video.
No comment. Truly.
Liam was perfect.
Confusion, then stuttering, blushing, annoyance, and finally... that laugh.
So... perhaps you couldn't blame him when he allowed himself some... let's call it leeway.
He got carried away.
"Mate, he's just the model example of easily annoyed," he found himself laughing with his colleagues as Liam once again became the subject of the topic at hand.
"Liam, easily annoyed? Have you met the man?" His colleague chuckled, raising her eyebrow in the little rectangle on his screen.
Admin laughed even harder, "Have you?"
"No, no," their friend piped up, wiggling his finger. "You got it all wrong, mate. It's not that he's easily annoyed. It's that you're talented at annoying him."
The sole woman on the team jumped in again, "I'd like to take this a step further, and say that you're just generally talented at annoying people."
Admin nearly choked up laughing, feigning an offended expression. "Excuse you? I'm Liam's favorite staff member, hands down. One day off the job, he'd get bored out of his mind without me," he jokes, lifting his half-finished coffee cup off the table to take a sip. "Arvid too!"
Instantly, the cup stops a breath away from his lips. You could almost hear an idea forming in his head.
"Oh, no," his colleague laments. "Spit it out, what is it."
It's genius.
It's a bit evil.
It's absolutely perfect.
The comments under every Tiktok post he makes are filled with people who love to see Liam getting teased almost as much as Admin does, and they all seem to be in agreement: Liam would get bored without him, wouldn't he?
Butterflies tickle at his stomach.
This stupid little crush of his only works as oil to the flames.
Admin wants to see how Liam would react if he was gone. If he wasn't there to tease him, prod at him, make him unwillingly participate in another Tiktok trend all while rolling his eyes, embarrass him in front of tens or hundreds of thousands of people online, and make him laugh until his tummy would hurt.
It was purely selfish.
Once the idea hit him, there was no unringing that bell.
Usually, Admin was prepared to wait days before acting on an idea, just to make sure it was perfect, all i's dotted and t's crossed. Maybe if he had stuck to that practice this time around, he wouldn't be where he was right now. Sitting on the floor, banging the back of his head on the wall of Liam's room, begging him to just unlock the door, please, we can talk this out.
But, it was just so good, so genius, that Admin had spent the whole of a few hours in the morning after discussing it with his team preparing for it, before starting with the execution part in the afternoon.
"Oh, god, what now." Liam sighed so hard Admin could have sworn he felt the air blow his hair back. But, there it was, the tiny, blink-and-you'll-miss-it barely there smile playing on his lips at the sight of Admin and his rectangle of doom approaching his personal space.
"Liam, I'm gonna ask you a question and you gotta be honest. Who's your favorite admin on the social media team?"
The blonde stopped walking and diverted his death-stare from the camera lens to Admin's eyes.
"Is this a trick." He's adorable. The question comes out more as a statement, and it arrives with the slightest of suspicious squints to Liam's eyes. The edges around them crinkle, just a little bit, showing all his previous smiles. Because he is – he's full-on smiling right now. Admin feels the tips of his fingers tickle with excitement.
He looks at the driver a bit incredulously, as if he couldn't believe his friend would suspect him of anything wicked. It makes Liam chuckle nervously.
"Hey, when have I ever tricked you? It's an honest question!" Admin's own lips pulled back in a smirk.
Liam licks his lips and rests his hands on his hips. "I like all of you, I can't just choose."
"Oh, come on," Admin chuckles and looks to the phone screen to check if Liam's still in the frame before catching his eye again. "You have to have one favorite. Like, who would you be the most devastated if they got fired or something?" If he were sitting down, Admin would have started kicking his feet.
Liam seemed to be unable to stand still. He crossed his arms on his chest, the look of suspicion still present on his face. But, so was the smile.
Then, the smile turned a bit more sinister. Admin thought it was a good look on such a wholesome face.
"Well, it certainly wouldn't be you, mate."
Bingo.
Admin could giggle.
He pressed one hand to his chest. "You don't mean that!"
"Oh, I do!" Liam chuckled. "If I could finally get a single day without that thing in my face and your silly trends or whatever, I'd feel like I was on vacation."
Admin laughs. Was it Christmas yet? "Liam, you're breaking my heart."
Liam seems to be filled with pride at that one. He juts out his chin, his nose ripping the clouds. "Yeah? Good! Serves you right after that good boy thing!" At the mere mention of the video, they crack up irreparably. "Everyone calls me a good boy now! And it's all your fault." Liam emphasizes this by poking Admin in the chest.
Admin cocks his head, making it a point to look Liam in the eye.
"Well, you are."
The furious blush that spreads to the tips of Liams ears marks the end of the video.
Admin can barely fucking sleep that night. He's right there, in his extremely comfy bed, in his expensive hotel room, twisting and turning like a twelve-year-old experiencing their first crush. He knew this thing would be impossible to orchestrate in a single day, and yet a part of him hoped that something perfect would just fall into his hands from the sky. Can't blame a man for dreaming, right?
But, it's okay. It's fine.
Patience is a virtue, and the sweetest rewards come to those who know how to wait.
The next morning comes like rain after a drought. Admin jumps out of bed at the sound of a phone call.
The image on the screen displays an unknown caller, but Admin knows exactly who it is. His stomach turns over in excitement. He nearly drops the phone trying to slide the green button.
"Yes? Hello?" He croaks, voice rough from the lack of use. He could feel his heart in his throat.
"Yeah, hi. It's me. Are we still on?" The voice from the other end of the call chirped, and Admin smiled.
This would be a good day.
"Hell yeah, we're on."
A bad idea never felt so fucking good.