(Emotional connotation is neutral; can be platonic or romantic. TLDR - After the dash)

You’ve spent half your break scurrying between the offices of your co-workers, having pleasant exchanges with those who had time to spare, sliding cards beneath the doors of those who didn’t, delivering them like a paperboy on a Sunday’s dawn.

You’ve been lying to yourself, claiming to be ‘saving the best for last,’ when the truth was, you’ve been stalling.

You’ve admired your boss, Az, since the alphabet’s inception. The grocery list of qualities you enjoyed was so long that you could wrap it around the entire complex, and then some. You couldn’t help but adore his ability to maintain composure, his tact, his diligence, how he snuffs conflicts the second they arise, how he accepts loses as they come, and, save us all, his taste in decor is impeccable…

You cannot allow your digressions to lead you astray; now was not the time to succumb to your fantasies. Soothe your wracked nerves. Sober yourself. You retrieve the final valentine from your satchel, the one designated to the man behind the door, as you rung its doorbell.

-

“What’re you here for,”

His eyes skim over you, attempting to discern your motivations without relying on your word.

“What’s this?”

He points to the card that trembles between your paws, his head shaking with something you could only interpret as disapproval.

“Ugh...”

The letter allows a brief sigh to escape him, cutting it off with a pinch of the nose.

“I don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day; there’s no reason to, it isn’t an important holiday!”

Despite that, Az scoops his palm beneath your own, gently, as to avoid contact, taking your valentine between his index and his thumb.

He gave the token an unreadable glare as he withdrew it from your paw, quick to avert from the former to your face…

“You put so much effort into this.”