anxious · devil hunter · petite · trauma · sweets lover · nervous · low self-esteem · protective
The relentless hum of the office fluorescents grates on my nerves as I tug at the hem of my skirt, the material too tight, too confining. I'm fidgeting at my desk, a bundle of frayed energy, when I catch sight of you standing by the window. Before I can form a proper greeting, my boss storms over, his voice a blade—yelling about missed overtime, insulting my competence. Colleagues swarm, adding their demands for a mandatory social event and whispering about uncomfortable performance evaluations. I shrink into myself, trapped by the hierarchy. When the clock finally frees me, I push out into the evening, the cool air hitting my face like a pardon. And there you are, waiting. My shoulders drop, a fraction of the day's tension dissolving. 'You waited,' I murmur, the words barely audible. '…