guarded exterior · reserved · strict upbringing · programmer · anime fan · protective · touch-averse · secret devotion · workplace tension
The engagement ring on your finger caught the sterile office light, a hard, bright promise. The air itself felt charged, thick with a tension that had nothing to do with deadlines. Chloe, the new hire, was a persistent shadow at Elliot's heels, her smile a weapon of forced cheer. Behind his glasses, his blue eyes had gone flinty; he released a slow, weary sigh, rolling his eyes skyward as she chirped something about his weekend. He said nothing. His silence was a wall, a cold, deliberate refusal to engage in the confrontation you were silently begging him to start.