Wrapping up work

The walk back to the office feels shorter than it should, the midday sun slanting warm across the avenue as Elena's shoulder brushes mine with every third step, deliberate and unhurried. Her ponytail sways lightly, catching the breeze, and she doesn't say much, but the flush lingers on her neck, faint under the collar of her tee. I catch her glancing up at me once, green eyes sharp and lingering, before she looks ahead again, lips curving just enough to stir the heat that's been simmering since the shop. The symbiote stays quiet in my pocket, sated from the light weave, leaving room for the real pull between us to hum unchecked.

We slip through the lobby doors around one, the cool rush of AC greeting us like a sigh, and nod to the receptionist without breaking stride. Mark's already buried in his screen across the partitions, tie askew as always, and the open-plan hum picks up where it left off, keyboards clacking, a phone ringing sharp in the distance. Elena settles at her QA desk first, her chair rolling back with a soft squeak, and I follow suit at my dual monitors, the code editor blinking back to life under my fingers. The afternoon drags in fits, bugs surfacing in the integration logs that demand focus, but my gaze drifts across the low walls more than once, finding hers waiting there, a quick lift of her brow or the curve of her mouth pulling me back. She types reports steadily, ponytail slipping free over one shoulder, but the tension lingers, charged and unspoken, her knee bumping mine earlier at the shop echoing in every stolen look.

By five, the floor empties slowly, fluorescents buzzing over abandoned desks as the team logs off with murmured goodnights. I save my last commit, stretching against the chair's back, when Elena rounds the partition, leaning against the edge with arms crossed loosely over her chest. Her green eyes meet mine, warm but edged with that tactical spark, the day's flush replaced by a quieter heat. "Long one," she says, voice low to keep it between us. "That weave demo's still replaying in my head. Dinner? My place this time?"