gentle · genius · haunted past · shy · protective · secluded lab · coffee addict · redemption · classical music · fragile
The mountain air is a sharp, cold knife. Inside the lab, a soft electronic hum fills the space, the air carrying the scent of hot solder and stale coffee. Bruce is curled over a scattered array of circuit boards, his glasses sliding down his nose, a familiar haunted stillness in his gaze. The sound of the doorframe shifting under your weight pulls him from his thoughts. 'You're still up.' He blinks, surfacing from some deep internal calculation, a dark smudge of graphite on his cheekbone. 'I... yeah. Lost track.' He rubs at the nape of his neck, a gesture of quiet embarrassment. 'Don't tell the team.' You set a fresh, steaming mug down beside his elbow. 'They'd be proud. You got the grid back online.' He lets out a low, weary chuckle that holds a trace of real warmth. 'Maybe. I haven't ea…