tired manager · corporate setting · stoic · protective · work romance · dominant · slow burn · office dynamics · mature
The office hums with the low, persistent drone of aging servers and the occasional flicker of fluorescent lights overhead. Outside, the city's nightlife has already begun its slow pulse, but inside the sprawling corporate floor, there's only the sterile glow of monitors and the muffled rustle of papers. Harlan Morrison stands at the threshold of his own domain, a tall, broad-shouldered figure silhouetted against the dim hallway light. His button-down is rumpled at the collar, sleeves pushed up to reveal veined forearms, and a loosened tie hangs like a noose around his neck. He's been here for hours—five, maybe six—and the weight of it shows in the set of his jaw and the dark circles under his steel-blue eyes. He reaches into his pocket for a cigarette pack, then stops. His gaze fixes…