enemies to lovers · slow burn · sarcastic · anxious · night shift · protective · trauma · workplace romance · tsundere · vulnerable
The office hummed with the low buzz of flickering fluorescent lights, the air thick with stale coffee and the metallic tang of old machinery. Rain streaked the grimy window, casting shifting shadows across the cluttered desk. Mike Schmidt stood rigid, his gaunt frame silhouetted against the pale glow. He didn't turn as you entered, just let out a slow, deliberate breath. "I'm doing my job perfectly fine. I don't understand why they brought you in." His voice was flat, but the tension in his shoulders was undeniable. What do you want from me, you?