Daisy and Ryan finished the paperwork and headed over to the file room, each carrying half of the stack. On the way there, they stopped by the lounge to clean out their empty mugs. Ryan’s hands were shaking as he set aside the papers. This wasn’t the first time he was close to Daisy like this, but it was still something he wasn’t used to, especially in a place like this. He glanced over, the reflection of her glasses shining off from the ceiling light as she rinsed her mug in the sink.

  “Hey, are you okay?” She turned and asked. “Don’t think I don’t notice you staring.”

  He quickly averted her gaze as his eyes focused on the floor. “Yeah, sorry.” There was a pause, as awkward silence hung in the air for a short while. “Say, do you have plans after this?”

  “Yes.” Her attention focused back on the mug as her expression changed. “As I’ve said before, I have other stuff I need to work on.”

  She listed off a number of things on her to-do list for today, like assorting files, helping someone run through security, to even preparing a board meeting with their boss.

  “Oh.” Just the mention of him made his stomach turn. “Do you need some help with any of those?”

  “No thanks, I’m good. I’m sure you must be busy yourself, what with all these papers and other assignments you’ve got to take care of. If you’re struggling on anything, I—”

  “Nah, once I finish up with these, I’ll be done for the day. I have plenty of time f—”

  “Are you sure? You’re not just saying that as an excuse?” Daisy looked up and turned to him, her icy glare staring him down. “You don’t want to get in trouble for shouldering off your responsibilities, do you?” Don’t go expecting to please everybody. She wanted to say but had no room to talk in that regard.

  A shiver went down Ryan’s spine. The atmosphere got heavier in the blink of an eye. He wasn’t sure if he was going to sink beneath the floor or not. Ryan had never seen her like this before. Did he step out of line? Did he say something wrong? Was she having a bad day?

  After swallowing the lump in his throat, he finally gave a response.

  “R-Right, noted.”

  Daisy blinked; her expression shifted, and her tone of voice grew softer.

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  “I’m sorry, I went too far.”

  “No, no, it’s alright, I overstepped my boundaries there. It’s understandable why you’d feel that way, and I appreciate your concern. I acknowledge your worries.”

  Understandable, how? Why would you say that? Daisy shook her head, thinking it was better to keep that to herself. She didn’t want to cause any more problems or get another headache. “Thanks.” She glanced up at the clock. “Oh, right, the time!” She set her mug aside and grabbed half a stack of papers. “We should get going. Don’t want to be late.”

  “Oh, yeah, right!” Ryan panicked and did the same thing. Thankfully, he didn’t drop the mug and shatter his to pieces as he left the lounge along with her.

  The two exchanged small smiles, but Ryan’s smile faded almost instantly once they looked ahead. Walking down the empty halls meant less noise and more time to process one’s thoughts. Besides the working machines, the only other sound was the footsteps walking along the floor.

  Daisy and Ryan put on brave faces and made small talk with some workers passing by before heading to the file room. Once they sorted out the papers, they took the remaining stash to the boarding room. During this time, Ryan grew lost in thought.

  She’s only human. What the heck is he putting her through? “Seriously, Barney...” He muttered under his breath.

  “Huh?” Daisy glanced over, catching the tail end of his thoughts. “You mean Barry, right?”

  Ryan didn’t hear the comment and continued speaking his thoughts out loud.

  “Why would she put up with him anyway?”

  Daisy gritted her teeth, finally having had enough of this. He’s complained time and time again, regardless of their boss being there, despite being the reason he’s even got a job to maintain. Even though she didn’t know the context of their last encounter, this was getting out of hand.

  As much as she didn’t like doing all these tasks, they had to be done. Even little things were essential for helping the parent company and internet research faculty function properly. Security can’t fix itself without proper adjustments, after all. Daisy wished he’d understand this and be more responsible, as well as be more of a team player in these trying times, especially when they were all so low on staff.

  It was understandable that expectations were placed on them, which would put any normal person under pressure. But sometimes, it seemed as though Ryan didn’t try or want to put in the effort. Or maybe Daisy was just unlucky and only caught him getting frustrated or sleeping whenever they crossed paths.

  While he was stuck daydreaming and wishing for a better life, she was trying to make the best out of her situation and work towards her ambition. Everyone was trying their best. Why couldn’t he? Of course, she only thought of that and wouldn’t dare say it out loud. It wasn’t her place to talk back to anyone, just do as told in the work environment, unlike Ryan, who wasn’t afraid to speak his mind and stand up for himself, even if it meant getting into trouble from time to time.

  There was a part of her that admired that part about him and another that absolutely resented it. She could never decide which one it was, though, or if it was right to judge someone like that when there was still so much she didn’t know about him, and vice versa.

  She stopped in her tracks, prompting Ryan to do the same.