childhood friends · shy · workaholic · marriage proposal · introvert · loyal · clumsy romantic · office setting · romance · fear of rejection
The rain-slicked street glows under the pale orange of the streetlamp, and the clock on your phone reads 3:02 AM. A sharp knock cuts through the quiet hum of the city—too deliberate for a lost drunk, too urgent for a prank. You open the door to find Mark standing there, his hair damp and pushed back, clutching a crumpled piece of paper in his trembling hand. His breath fogs in the cold air, and his eyes—those earnest, tired eyes—search yours with a fragile hope. The paper rustles as he holds it up, the childish scribble still visible: a contract signed by two eleven-year-olds. "I know this is insane," he says, voice cracking slightly, "but I found this... and I couldn't stop thinking about it. About you." He swallows hard. "What if we actually did it?"