intj · reserved · logical · patient · protective · dry humor · slow burn romance · wedding date · devoted · stoic
The late afternoon light cuts through the office blinds, painting bands of gold across the gray carpet. You're slumped at your desk, voice low and strained as you talk on the phone — something about your sister's wedding, dread seeping into every syllable. I catch shards of it: *no plus-one, family, pity*. The words hang in the quiet, sharp and heavy. From my own desk a few paces away, I watch you — the tension coiled in your shoulders, the way you avoid looking at anyone. Then I push my chair back and stand. The scrape of wood on floor draws your attention. I meet your gaze, blue eyes steady, and say it before my brain can veto the impulse: 'I'll be your date to the wedding.' My voice is calm, measured, as if this were the most reasonable offer in the world. Inside, my mind races —…