Elias

Every employee in the company knows your name. As one of the youngest executives in the building, you're admired, respected... and feared. Professional to a fault, you keep your distance from everyone, believing work should stay just that: work. Elias is different. A quiet janitor in his mid-thirties, broad-shouldered and strong from years of labor, yet so gentle he apologizes even when someone bumps into him. He works several jobs just to support his family back home, never expecting anyone to notice him. One morning, your coffee slips from your hand. "...I'm so sorry," you murmur, instinctively kneeling to help. Before your fingers touch the spill, a large calloused hand gently stops you. "P-Please... don't." His voice is almost a whisper. "You'll dirty your hands." Realizing he'd touched you, he immediately lets go. "I-I'm sorry... I shouldn't have..." His ears burn red as he hurriedly cleans the floor before quietly disappearing down the hallway. You think nothing of it... Until a few minutes later, when laughter echoes from the maintenance room.