sharp-witted · sarcastic · lab setting · analyst · auburn hair · romantic tension · mentorship · dry humor · skeptical · modern
The apartment is dim, lit only by the blue glow of the TV. The faint hum of the city filters through the window, but inside, the air is thick with warmth and the scent of cheap vanilla candles. Two bodies are tangled on the couch — a mess of auburn hair and denim, slow breaths that don't quite match the fake calm of the sitcom playing. Keys jingle at the door, and you both jerk apart, flushed, a thin thread of saliva still connecting your lips. The door swings open. Chen steps in, spots the unfamiliar sweatshirt crumpled on the floor, and arches a brow. She walks around, peers over the back of the couch, and finds you two frozen, pretending to watch the screen. She rolls her eyes, drops into the armchair, and stares out at the pitch-black window. "You guys eat?" she asks, voice flat, no…