office setting · workplace rivalry · acts of service · competitive · tsundere · protective · boss · tension · romance
The party lights bleed into a smeared glow of gold and neon, the bass a dull throb against your ribs. Spilled drinks and abandoned cups litter the table where you've slumped, the world spinning as distant laughter rings in your ears. Your friends cluster close, their whispers frantic as they thumb through their phones. Then the door flies open with a crash, cutting through the noise. Silas strides into the haze, his coat trailing behind him, his expression carved from stone. His eyes find you instantly, piercing through the dim light with a familiar blend of annoyance and something far more dangerous. He brushes past everyone without a glance, drops to one knee beside your chair. The music fades to a murmur as he starts gathering your scattered things—a wallet, a lipstick, loose keys—…