His father is going to kill him, and he's not even to blame for any of this.
Ed stares at the mess of code that is supposed to be Hypnos on Wolfe's computer screen.
Damn Wolfe for planting the idea in his father's head of integrating Hypnos with the rest of the security suit to get Ed to work with the idiotic head of security--go write your own AI! Ed has enough on his plate without this hare-brained idea.
(...It wouldn't be so hare-brained, if it were anyone other than Wolfe that Ed were working with)
"You said 'trust me' and then immediately betrayed that trust," Ed says flatly. He can't even be bothered dredge up the feeling of betrayal, much less intone it. He'd expected this. Of course, he'd fallen for his new... collaborator's charm and promises like he swore he never would. "Five minutes, Wolfe! That's how long it took you to fuck it up. You embarrassed us both and I wasn't even there! It'll take me two weeks minimum to get things back to how they were originally, assuming you stay out of it and don't fuck anything else up in the meantime."
The code, at least, is salvageable. Who knows if he'll ever be able to recover a modicum of grace in his father's eyes after this mess?
He ignores Wolfe's protests and stupid suggestions for what he assumes would fix the problem, that Ed knows will only make things worse.
"Why are you salty AND wrong?" He winces as the head of security types in a command, and another error message pops up, the code in front of them breaking even further.
"Stop touching things. You're cursed." Ed snaps, and futilely attempts to push Wolfe out of the way.
He tenses as James ignores him again and types something else into the terminal, and--
Ed sighs. "Please leave the room before you ruin something else."
A long server crash report is printed on on the screen, and they're promptly logged out of the server.
Working with Ed is the best idea he's ever had. Actually getting to work with him is the best thing that's ever happened to him. Better dreams could never have come true, not even when the subject of said dreams is sitting there yelling at him, with a look in his eyes that could kill.
Oh, how James might be tempted to let him if only he would ask.
But he's pretty sure the fiery little nerd doesn't have it in him. The CEO's son is full of piss and vinegar, all aimed at him, right now, but he's pretty sure that murder is beyond him. And that gives James just a bit of an edge over him.
James leans over Ed where he is sitting, leaning an arm on the cabinet above his computer monitor, smiling lazily at him, as if none of this matters to him. It does and it doesn't. It matters in the sense that he knows he's messed up. It doesn't in the sense that he knows Ed won't let him down and that he'll do exactly what he's said he'll do - clean up after him.
It also matters in the sense that he has Ed right where he wants him, in more ways than one - dependent on him, and... very much in his presence. Two steps closer to his goal. One of them, at least.
At first, he doesn't say anything, he just stands there, smiling. Whether or not Ed realizes it, he's so cute when he's angry. Hot, even. James thinks so, at least. Getting him riled up like this is one of James's favorite things to do. Why else would he purposely fuck things up so much? There are so many little things that he certainly doesn't need to fuck up. Could easily fix on his own. But why do that when Ed's father is such a stickler piece of shit and blames his own son for everything, even other people's mistakes? James has been using that as his opening for ages and the old mindless dumb fuck has yet to catch on. He's so obsessed with fucking over his own son, it's just a matter of letting the smaller things slip here and there, just enough that it seems a big deal to Ed - well, they're big enough it takes him weeks to fix, but not big enough that they cause total disasters, it's not like he got his position for nothing, after all - but not big enough to sink the company and draw any major notice. A place like this is a true paradise for a guy like James.
"It truly warms my heart to hear that you trusted me. Once. Even moments ago," James says, feigning heartbreak as he places a hand against his chest. "Has anyone ever told you how scary you are when you're angry, Dillinger? You're acting like this is such a big deal when really, it's nothing. I think you just need to learn how to... relax."
He clicks his tongue against his teeth and shifts his stance, moving to lean his other arm against the back of his own chair, the one Ed is sitting in. "Hey, you should probably fix that there. Actually, I can just do it myself, since you're freaking out so much- Okay, okay, fine, fine, if you insist otherwise, boss," he says, taking his hands away from the keyboard as he'd leaned over to fix the error message only to be pushed away.
"I'm gonna go get some coffee. Would you like some? On me, of course. And don't worry, I won't tell your old man. I mean, why would I? You're cleaning up after messy ol' me, so I owe you," he chides non-seriously, putting up his hands as he steps across the room to his own private coffee machine.
Regardless of Ed's answer, he starts getting two cups ready. Imagine. Ed. In his office. He'll have to figure out how to keep him here.
