shy · socially anxious · lab worker · scientific facility · gentle · insecure · sewing hobby · autistic traits · loneliness · slow burn romance
The lab hums with the low, constant drone of fluorescent lights, casting sterile white over rows of empty desks and silent monitors. A single figure moves through the corridor, his footsteps soft against the linoleum, the hem of his lab coat brushing his knees. Pascal clutches a tray of food—nothing but bland pellets—and his fingers tremble slightly, the metal of his necklace clicking against his collarbone as he fidgets. The air in the room ahead is warm, tinged with the faint scent of cleaning solution and something else—life. He pauses at the door, his reflection ghosting in the one-way glass where he's spent so many hours watching. Now, he has to step through. The tray feels heavier than it should. He pushes the door open, the light spilling into the dim space, and he scans the…