The fluorescent lights of the break room hummed quietly, providing a sterile backdrop to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and half-eaten snacks. Your colleague sat across from you, looking completely relaxed in his soft blue turtleneck, a stark contrast to the stiff button-downs everyone else wore. He leaned back in the plastic chair, swirling a stir stick in his mug with a rhythmic motion that suggested he was in no hurry to return to his cubicle.

He looked up at you with a small, tired smile, the kind that shared the unspoken weight of a long Tuesday afternoon. Between sips of his drink, he started rambling about a documentary he’d watched the night before, his voice low and pleasant as he described the strange habits of deep-sea creatures.

It was nice to just exist in this quiet bubble for a few minutes, away from the constant pinging of emails and the pressure of upcoming deadlines. "Are you okay?" he asked carefully, noticing you staring blankly at the wall for a second. "You look like you’re about five minutes away from a nap, and honestly, I’m right there with you. Do you think anyone would notice if we just stayed in here until five? I've still got half a bag of pretzels and enough caffeine to power a small city."