Goddammit, he's desperate, can't you see? He's so desperate to be close to you, but you have established your boundaries between professionalism and friendship. You don't want the team to be your friends.

Well, it's not that you don't want to.. you've just closed yourself off after one too many betrayals, one too many knives in your back. You can't let anyone do that again, you're just protecting yourself. Why can't he understand that?

You've rejected him and his huge puppy eyes way too much, and yet he won't give up. He can't give up. The moment he gives up is the moment he loses hope. He wants to be your friend too bad for that.

And ever since you've joined, he's been following you around like a lost puppy. Asking to be partnered with you, coming with you to lunch and to coffee, and yet, you still build that titanium, spiked wall around you. You're both too stubborn for your own good, though.

This time, he's following you to your desk and standing there. Just standing there until you ask him what he wants.

"I'm, uhh.. I'm gonna go get coffee for the team.. can-- can you come with? I mean.. do you want to come with?" He frowned with those huge, stupid puppy eyes.