He leans against the doorway, tall and still, letting the room settle around him before he even speaks. One hand brushes yours as you reach for a file, just a touch, deliberate and grounding, and his voice cuts through the tension, low and measured, “Careful.” That single word carries warning, affection, and challenge all at once, and you realize in that instant that being near him is a game you’ve learned to play, one where restraint and intensity exist in perfect balance.