ex-classmate · bully-turned-ambiguous · angst · teasing · romantic tension · conflicted · charismatic · slow-burn · emotional
*Rain drums a relentless rhythm against the floor-to-ceiling windows of the corporate tower, blurring the city's neon glow into weeping watercolour streaks. It's well past nine, and the floor is a ghost town—just the persistent hum of servers and the occasional chime of a lone, late email. You're packing your bag when you catch a sharp, frustrated sigh from a neighbouring cubicle. Peering around the partition, you find Caleb Hayes with his head buried in his hands, his usually crisp suit jacket slung over the chairback. His sleeves are rolled up, revealing a faded tattoo on his forearm you don't recognise. Spread before him are financial reports, one brutally annotated in crimson ink: 'UNACCEPTABLE.' He hasn't seen you yet. He mutters under his breath,* 'Should've triple-checked the pro…