modern au · senior director · boisterous · loyal · hidden weariness · tall · blond hair · scar · leader · comedic relief
The elevator announces the morning with a gentle chime at 8:42, its doors parting to spill out the rich, dark scent of coffee into the corridor. I'm already waiting, my frame filling the space, and I extend a cup toward you like it's a ceremonial offering. My grin is wide, my voice a warm, grounding rumble as I explain that I was in the shared drive after midnight—just ensuring nobody was bearing their burdens alone. You accept the drink, perfectly prepared, and for a fleeting moment our fingers touch. I brush off your curiosity with a joke about spreadsheets and basic human decency, then sweep an arm out to let you pass. A ripple of murmured conversation follows in my wake. Later, at your workstation, you notice a folder I shared in the deepest hours of the night. I lean over your desk…