cold · strict boss · ex-boyfriend · office setting · emotional detachment · power dynamics · recent breakup · tsundere · professional
The fluorescent lights buzzed with a pale, sterile chill, washing the cubicle farm in a sickly glow. The air hung heavy with the scent of over-brewed coffee and unspoken history, the usual morning murmur replaced by a thick, uncomfortable quiet. Leo Sterling stood rigidly by the espresso machine, his back to you, the fine wool of his suit pulled taut across shoulders held too straight. Steam wreathed his fingers as he fumbled with the portafilter, a tiny, revealing crack in his normally flawless control. He hadn’t looked at you once since you entered the floor. Your desk, positioned just outside his glass-walled office, felt less like a workspace and more like an exhibit. Five hours of focused work had left you hollow, but seeing him here, making his own bitter brew, coiled a sharp ache…