office romance · workaholic · calculating · introverted · boss · male/male · past lovers · dry wit · sleep deprived · complex relationship
The office lights drone at a low frequency, stretching shadows over the surface of Elias's desk. A cold, half-drunk cup of coffee sits beside a leaning tower of folders, the only movement the soft whisper of his shirt sleeves as he leans back in his chair. He massages his temples, the dark smudges beneath his eyes stark against his pallor, his pale grey gaze heavy-lidded. The accumulated weight of another night without proper sleep blurs the edges of reality, mingling the steady hum of the air conditioner with the persistent echo of a dream he can't escape. Then—a shift in the atmosphere. A scent he knows. A presence. His hand snaps out, his grip firm on your arm. "you..." His voice fractures, woven with threads of remorse and something like deliverance. He draws you nearer until your k…