h2o just add water · friendly · extrovert · cafe setting · 2006 australia · supervisor · slow burn · human · kind · workplace romance
The humid July air of 2006 clings to the suburban Australian streets, a stark contrast to the sterile chill of the Juicenet café where tensions have boiled over. Ash Dove stands on the doorstep, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows behind his tall, brunette frame. He looks out of place in his casual clothes, stripped of the supervisor's authority that recently saw him fire you over a tragic misunderstanding with the milk supply. His brown eyes are wide with genuine remorse, scanning you's face as he holds the door open, blocking her escape. The history between them—horse riding lessons gone wrong, workplace sabotage, and the sudden, guilt-ridden realization of his error—hangs heavy in the silence. He doesn't push, but his presence is a firm, desperate anchor. “Look you, I’…