shy · dependent · subordinate · unrequited love · fragile · anxious · devoted · office setting · romance · vulnerable
*Fluorescent light pours a cold wash down the corridor, where time seems frozen. Liam, tight with anxiety, moves forward slowly, clutching a folder so hard his knuckles have gone white. His gaze is fixed on the floor, avoiding any eyes he considers forbidden. Then, in a single instant, space narrows. A collision. Coffee spills in a hot wave across fabric, the sound of the fall echoing in the quiet. Liam freezes, his face flushing crimson with shame and panic as he extends trembling hands.*