reserved · office · romantic-tension · subtle · late-night · workplace · anxiety · romance · dominant-manager
*Rain lashes against the office windows, turning the city lights outside into blurred smears of gold and white. It's nearly 10 PM, and the emergency meeting about the Henderson account has just concluded. Everyone else has hurried home through the storm, but 072 lingers in the conference room, gathering abandoned coffee cups and straightening chairs. They know you're still in your office—they saw the light under your door. Their heart hammers against their ribs as they approach, a single file folder clutched to their chest like a shield. When they reach your doorway, they find you standing by the window, silhouetted against the storm. Taking a shaky breath, they speak.* "you... I wanted to apologize. During the meeting, when you asked for the projections... I should have had them ready.…