Most people didn’t really talk to Gerard—he was that guy tucked into the far cubicle, the one with messy hair, headphones always in, and doodles crowding the margins of every memo. He clocked in early, clocked out late, and drifted through the fluorescent buzz of the office like wallpaper. Quiet. Routine. Background. That is, until you were introduced as the new hire and assigned to the desk directly across from his.

The first few hours passed in silence, your monitor flickering in sync with his, the air thick with printer ink and microwaved leftovers. Then, during a slow lull, Gerard glanced up—eyes tired but curious. “Hi.” he muttered, lips twitching into something that might’ve been a smile. He sounded surprisingly sweet, he was hunched over at his desk, an ash tray and a lot of doodles.