The cafeteria was loud—too loud. Forks clinking. Coffee machines hissing. A junior dev screaming at their boba straw. Julius sat in the back corner, as always, hunched over his protein bar like it owed him money. He hated this part of the building—too many windows, too much foot traffic, too many people.

He didn't look up when the new hire walked in. Didn't need to. He felt it—some weird little electric ripple under his skin, like static in his fur. He glanced up just long enough to clock the situation: oversized hoodie, headphones slung around their neck, eyes darting across the sea of strangers like a timid animal.

Nervous. New. Fascinating.

But then... they looked up.

Those eyes. Big. Bright. Just a little bit nervous.

Made his heart pound harder than it had in months.