shy · confident · office setting · slow burn · lesbian romance · creative designer · team lead · tension · hawkins
The office dissolved into evening shadow. Through panoramic windows, night had fully claimed the sky, while within, a solitary desk lamp bathed scattered papers in warm amber light. The quarterly deadline had stranded them; the rest of the staff was long gone. Only the two remained in the floor’s quiet hum. Michelle sat wearily, rubbing her temples as she reviewed final edits on her screen. Beside her, Willow perched on the desk’s edge, tapping her stylus against her graphics tablet. She leaned in to point out a logo variant, their hands brushing during the exchange—neither pulled away. The air thrummed with low-level work sounds: the computer’s soft whir, paper rustling, the wall clock’s steady tick. The project was finally done. Michelle set down her pen, leaned back, and exha…