word count: 350

A sigh escaped your lips before you could even register it, as you pressed your pointer finger and thumb between your temples, rubbing the skin meticulously before exhaling an even bigger one. 

“Yo, they’re at it again [Name]” your co-worker declared, a.k.a gossip buddy, Eric, who had graciously handed you a cup of good ole coffee before sipping his own. 

You have never wanted anything more than to dig a six feet hole and bury yourself in it if it meant the sounds from the CEO’s office would cease. 

“Oh- oh my gosh! Please, don’t stop! Right there- oh godddd-” the sounds of Y/N’s moans echo across the office floor, the faces of many of your work colleagues twisting into an expression of discomfort and unease. 

If you knew working here would be the worst mistake of your life, you would’ve never applied to this company in the first place.

“I swear to god, if I have to hear her moan for another minute I will actually kill myself” you utter, rubbing your face before drinking nearly a quarter of your caffeine. A hearty laugh escaped Eric’s mouth, his head tilting just a bit as his hand hugged his stomach from your announcement. 

Ever since Y/n began working at the company, and specifically on this office floor, your’s and everyone’s lives have been hell. Anywhere Y/n was, you were guaranteed to be her unassuming target, whether that be her tripping over nothing but air or spilling coffee on her shirt (which she wasn’t even wearing a bra for in the first place). 

Overall, being remotely in Y/n’s space meant the 100% possibility that you were about to be slimed the fuck out by the CEO for gracing your awful presence to his kitten.

Haughty grunts and moans continue to fill the floor’s uncomfortable and borderline risqué atmosphere, it was becoming overbearing with how much slapping and gaudy sounds kept reverberating within his office. 

Maybe you should’ve applied for the CEO’s rival company, it would’ve been way more better than this shit hole you call work.

tags: oneshot, fluff to angst to fluff, 2.5K words

a/n: I was on TikTok and based this off something I saw on there, I was inspired!

Since you were a kid, you could sense that something was different about you and other people compared to the majority. While growing up, some of your friends had whirlwind love stories or dramatic romantic lives that were almost fit for a drama.

That’s when you were first able to distinguish between main characters and side characters, and you were the latter.

Main characters often went through dramatic changes in their lives, whether than was romantic or professional, and were more likely to experience what you called the “luck rush”, where they would experience one good thing after the other for a limited amount of time. Side characters, on the other hand, served as filler characters to push the main character along, often either a best friend, sibling, or minor enemy.

While you had come to terms with the fact that your life would probably never be as interesting as the main characters', you found pleasure in the simple things. You even managed to snag a job at XXXX Corporation, a major conglomerate in the business industry.

While you were a simple pencil pusher for now, you had hit a little lucky streak of your own, and alongside this cushy new job, you managed to find an affordable apartment nearby.

On your first day you rode up to your floor on a packed elevator, your senses dominated by the strong smells of cologne and freshly brewed coffee as well as the roar of company chatter. Your leather bag pressed into your chest as you tugged your pin-striped pencil skirt down with your free hand, legs jittery with nerves.

Suddenly, the elevator stuttered to silence as someone stepped on, a figure you couldn't see from where you stood. Floor by floor the elevator became emptier, that's when you spotted the one responsible for the silence: a tall, imposing man fitted in a sleek and expensive looking suit.

Curious, you watched him as he glanced at the luxurious watch on his wrist then at the elevator door, scrutinizing eyes seemingly judgmental of even the elevators timeliness. As you reached the 17th floor, only you and the man got off, shoulders bumping as you stepped off. He didn't even glance at you, as if he didn't even clock you being there. You watched as he walked, no charged, to the corner office. Once the door shut behind him you read the wooden plaque on it. Chief Executive.

Holy shit. That was your boss!?

The rest of the day was spent meeting new coworkers and getting accustomed to your new position. Everyone was nice enough, and despite the rocky start, it wasn't too bad! As the end of your day neared, you packed up what little you brought and headed down to the lobby, picturing a hot bath and something delicious for dinner.

Before the elevator doors could shut, a hand slid in between the metal doors, a hand adorned with an, expensive looking watch. Then he stepped in again, your boss, the man who had almost the entire company's respect (at least from what you heard).

Once the elevator shut once again, he turned to you,

"Y/N, right?" his voice was gruff, not from overuse, just naturally baritone.

You nodded in response, unsure of how to react, then slapping yourself mentally, 'This was your boss! You had to make a good first impression.'

"Yes, that's me. Nice to meet you, sir." You raised your hand up robotically.

Thankfully, he ignored your awkwardness and shook your hand firmly, his hand warm but rough in your grip. A sharp but pleasant scent drew your attention. Wow, he even smelled expensive.

"Well, it's nice to meet you," he said, tucking his hand back into his pocket, then flashing a small smile, "I try to greet all my employees on their first day, but today has been busy."

You smile awkwardly at that, "It's ok."

Thankfully, the elevator dinged in time, signaling that the doors were about to open. You gave him a smile and walked out, turning the corner, then running to a more secluded corner of the building.

Your face was red. Why did he have to be exactly your type?!

As the following months passed, you surprisingly became closer to him than you thought; you could thank your hunger for that. You had a habit of grabbing a bite to eat from the company-provided pantry, and surprisingly, so did he. After a few run-ins and awkward small talk, conversations leaned away from professional and into personal territory.

Your brief meetings in the company break room turned to him stopping by your desk whenever he passed by, from there began to drop you off in the lobby on your way out. You had kindled a friendship of some sort with him.

You could tell that he was letting you in, in ways that he didn't with anyone else. His eyes grew softer, tone slighter less sharp, even inside jokes began to manifest in your day-to-day conversations. Sometimes, one in a while, a stray cookie from the break room would appear on your desk, wrapped neatly in a tissue. In return, you'd drop off a black coffee on his desk on the way to yours.

But there was something else, something bubbling under the surface, a tension. Not exactly a bad one, but charged. You could tell in the way he'd look at you, fingers brushing as he handed you something, or the way he'd lean down to whisper things to you, his woodsy scent overtaking your senses.

You both were on the verge of something. Teetering together on the edge of some unknown horizon. Maybe even someone like you, a side character, could have a love story.

That's when she showed up. You knew it immediately; she was a main character. Gorgeous enough to be a model, confident and outgoing, and above it all, she seemed to attract people no matter where she went. If she was another coworker, it would’ve been fine but of course she was his secretary no less. The universe always seemed to make the most absurd things happen in order for the story to unfold.

And that was when you knew the small hope you had been building up all this time, until it grew into a small flame of desire, had burned you. You should’ve known, someone like you and him? This wasn’t a Cinderella story, you already knew how this world worked. The lucky are rewarded while the background characters remain just that, in the background.

You thought that her being there would give him more free time, being his secretary and all, but it was quite the opposite. He ended up staying later and later at the office, and when you finally ran into him in the lobby a few days later he briefly told you that he had been training her for her new role.

Huh.

Brief?

Your conversations had never been brief before. When did that happen?

Slowly your walks and talks to the lobby had diminished to a simple nod as you passed each other in the hall. You rarely ran into him in the break room either, as if the universe had corrected itself.

You had never been so focused on your work before, anything to get your attention away from the twisting feelings that swirled in your heart. But how could you forget his face? The way his eyebrows creased when you said something funny, his soft, barely there smile he finally let you see, the quiet ways he showed he cared.

You'd run into them at the office, his hand gently placed on her shoulder as he pointed out something on the monitor in front of him. You couldn't hear what they were talking about, but you watched as she said something to him, and in response, he laughed. Your stomach twisted. It had taken you longer than a month to finally get him to laugh, but it was so easy for her. You turned the corner and retreated to your desk quickly.

You ran yourself ragged that night, tossing and turning as visions swam in front of you, him behind his mahogany desk, her, the break room, you alone in the lobby, completely all alone.

When you awoke that morning you were covered in a sheer layer of sweat and tangled unnaturally in your bedsheets, panting like you ran a marathon.

The next few weeks were nothing less of a dance, you would arrive early enough not to board the elevator with him and sit at your desk long enough to miss the first snack break he always took. The rest of your day went how it usually did, you knew he was occupied by her anyway.

But as the end of the day arrived, you made sure to leave 5 minutes earlier than everyone else, rushing down to the lobby in hopes that you wouldn’t have to see him and her. A few weeks passed like this, and outside of the few odd times you’d see him and he’d go out of his way to talk to you, you hadn’t talked to him much.

His last message to you: I’ll see you then. Had gone unanswered, and you weren’t sure how to react anyway. The warm scent that lingered around your cubicle had finally faded, leaving behind the sterile scent of lemon in the office. Treats no longer appeared on your desk either, and the months you both spent together seemed to fade into obscurity, like he never knew you in the first place.

A few more weeks had passed, and the chill in the winter air turned to a freeze as the holiday season started. Festive decorations were hung around the office, and instead of the usual clean smell, the scent of cranberries dominated the building. Everyone seemed more relaxed, and with the office holiday party only days away, everyone seemed abuzz with excitement. Some excitedly anticipated what delicious food people would bring in, while others relished the thought of company drama.

The day of the party was no less impressive, and while you chatted with a few coworkers, you noticed him slip into the room. You couldn't deny, he looked good, his usual suit abandoned for a more relaxed pair of slacks and sweater, you could tell from the material alone that it was expensive. But the most surprising fact was that she was nowhere to be seen, her usual place by his side empty.

You tried to ignore it, talking to other coworkers throughout the night and trying to enjoy yourself. You even dressed up today! Ditching the usual formals for a cute dress and wrap sweater, you felt a little more like yourself and a little less like the jealous monster you had turned into. But you kept catching his eyes across the room, burning with a concentration you'd never seen him have. Ignoring, to the best of your abilities, you tried your best to enjoy the night.

Later in the night, a coworker had complimented your necklace, leading to a conversation. You learned his name, that he was around your age, and even that you had a few hobbies in common, which was a lot more than what you knew about anyone else in the office. It didn't hurt that he was cute too, with a boyish smile and kind-looking eyes. He'd leaned in closer to hear you, closing the distance between you slightly, and as you both laughed, you'd gently placed a hand on his arm to steady yourself. You apologized and drew back. He was warm, joking that he'd be happy to be your crutch, eyes twinkling in amusement.

But like all good things, the night had to come to an end as well, and you retreated to the lobby to catch a cab home, far too tired to walk. As you reached the expanse of marble, you felt him before you saw him, large hand tugging you to a more secluded part of the building.

You gaped at his strange behavior, tugging your arm away from his grip, "Let go!"

He stopped midstride and turned to you, usually gelled hair down and covering his eyes. His fists clenched and unclenched. "Have I done something?"

Your eyes widened, confused and bewildered. 'Why was he asking this?'

"No...?"

His face tilted up slightly, and his eyes lifted to meet yours, slightly red and wide. "Then why are you avoiding me? It's been weeks, you haven't even texted me."

You stammered at that, you couldn't exactly say that you weren't meant for romance, that the universe would never let you be together, that his perfect half was already here. So you picked the easiest explanation.

"It's just work, besides, you're busy training your secretary."

You must've let some of the venom in your tone slip when you said 'secretary' because his eyebrows furrowed. "I'd like to think that what we have is more than work."

You paled a little, you hadn't meant it like that. "I mean, I guess we're friends, but-"

"I want to be more than just your friend, Y/N." Your eyes shot up to his in surprise, and instead of keeping contact like he always did, he awkwardly stared at your shoulder, almost... embarrassed?

"That might've been true in the beginning," he continues, wringing his hands, "but as you've shown me so many different sides of yourself, and the little parts of you that make you, well, you. I mean, you even helped me discover new sides of myself."

He looks you in the eye, more confident this time. "And I'm not afraid to admit that I want something with you." he then spots the teary look in your eye. "Unless you don't want that! Which I completely understand! Please don't report me to HR." He said nervously.

You let out a wet laugh, rubbing the small tears from your eyes, "I wasn't planning on it." You sniffed, "I just saw that something was going on between you and the new girl, so I was just giving you... space."

He sighed, "Her?" You just nodded. "Y/N." This time you were the one to look up. "Yeah, she was there to make my life easier, and she did. She's good at what she does." He paused. "But every minute I was with her, I was wondering what you were doing, when I was going to see you again."

"You were?" You ask a little disbelievingly.

"I missed you, you know?" his unregulated honesty made your breath catch for a second. This time he grinned, "And how could I want her when my dream girl was waiting for me?"

You laughed again, "And who could that be?"

His eyes softened. "You see any gorgeous women around here but you?" he stepped closer, fingertips brushing yours.

You smiled, eyes crinkling from the happiness. "Well, I guess we're the perfect pair then. A handsome man is fit for a gorgeous woman, don't you think?" You finally clasped his hands.

Maybe a main character and a side character aren't so different, no one is born one way or the other. It's the choices that you make that define which one you are, so be bold, say that thing, do what you've been putting off. And above all, be true to yourself.