Grey lay flat on the large table with his arms cradling his head. He inhaled deeply as he slept peacefully with one leg hanging off the side. Massive folders stuffed to the brim with papers surround the table making room for his makeshift bed. His lab coat acting as a blanket with his pen still clutched in his hand.

The dark filing room was lined with silver filing cabinets with an occasional drawer opened up. A lone light hangs above the long table flickered for a moment due to the storm's strength from outside.

Grey slowly began to wake up only to feel miserable and exhausted. His lovely dark blue eyes beginning to clear the sleepy fog from his eyes. His arms still wrapped around his head acting as his pillow. His thick blazing red hair ruffled on one side with areas slick with sweat.

He yawned loudly as he slowly lifted his head, unsure where he was even sleeping. But as his mind began to wake up, he realized he was just as pathetic as he thought.

He had slept in the filing room.

Embarrassed, he slowly pushed himself up to be sitting up on the table. His legs aching from the awkward position they were in, he lets them dangle down from the table before stretching them out. He winced as his knees popped and reached up at the ceiling hearing his shoulders crack.

He sighs softly before looking down at the ground below. To his surprise, a young girl lays half-under the table. Grey's breath is caught not only by surprise but in awe of the beautiful girl who sleeps underneath the table.

Saren's thick blonde hair is sprayed out behind her. Her lips pursed as she sleeps peacefully with her eyes perfectly shut. She laid on her side with her hands folded under her cheek, almost curled up into a ball. Her black heels set beside her while her white lab coat also acts as her blanket.

Grey slowly slips his coat back on, still yawning loudly as he tried to figure out when he fell asleep. He scanned the room for a moment realizing they were almost done with organizing the lab's files. The paper shredder still blinking green in the corner with a stack of random papers next to it that Saren didn't finish shredding.

He runs his hand through his hair before rubbing his flushed face because of the failing air conditioner and his own embarrassment. Did I just sleep in the same room as Saren? It wasn't like he didn't like it or felt weird about it. In fact, he wouldn't even question it if it were anyone else. But the fact that it's Saren...

He realized he was only wearing his socks and quickly searched for his shoes, still sitting on the table like a little kid. He finds them on the other side of the table, fallen off the edge and laying next to Saren's shoes. Grey glanced back down at Saren only to reel back realizing her eyes are open.

She stares up at him sleepily, her hazel green eyes glazed over from deep sleep. She blinks slowly before yawning, "Oh, hi Grey."

Grey fought his oncoming blush and nodded shortly. He turns his head the other way hoping he could hide his red face. "Hi Saren," he answered as casually as he could.

He heard her laugh, "Oh wow, did we just sleep in the filing room?" she asked, lightheartedly.

Grey smiled and nodded, "The horrible lives of the interns."

"Exactly."

Saren sat up, her lab coat slipping off her shoulders. Grey looked back down at her only to quickly look away. She wore a simply black tank top with her top shirt missing and dark jeans. To be honest, it shouldn't have bothered him as much as it did. But this was Saren which tossed Grey into a completely different situation. This was unmarked waters and Grey was a bit worried for Saren's sake.

Saren finally slips her lab coat back on before standing up. "Do you know what time it is?" she asks tiredly, stretching her legs as she paces around the dark room.

"Um." Grey checked his watch that has made imprints on his wrist from sleeping on it. "Six-thirty," he relays to his own surprise. "Wow... we really did sleep here..."

"For... three hours," Saren chuckled, "I don't think I'll be able to survive today without sleep, or three shots of espresso."

Grey smirked, "Last time we tried that, I nearly got fired. And you nearly injected yourself with the cuttlefish injection."

Saren grinning back, "I still think I would have been able to camouflage."

"You read too much science fiction."

"This entire lab is science fiction," she drawed out, turning to face Grey. She stood tall near the door, "Genetic mutations? Cloning? Where have you been for the past three months? Living under a rock?" She flashed him an joking smile as she shifted her weight to one leg.

Grey rolls his eyes, "Yeah, the lab is an isolated rock."

"Dummy," she scoffed, her voice light. Then she walked towards the shredder in the corner, "So... I guess I should finish this..."
Grey slipped off the table and began to pick up a large black folder that had slipped off the table. He yawned as his lack of sleep began to gnaw at his body. He decided against putting his uncomfortable shoes back on knowing no one important would come into the filing room. After all, this is an "intern" job meaning it's not worth the time of day.

He placed the fallen folders back on the table, dragging his feet as he goes. Grey scans the front of the folder realizing how much he hates organizing the files. The labels are confusing enough but the fact is that he has to go through every paper and make sure everything is accurate. Even though everything is digital, they claim they need hard copies of reports as well.

Everyone knows this is a joke job, and yet they made the two youngest interns do it all. The two began their job around three yesterday and took a short break for dinner. But as they worked later into the night, they lost track of time and ended up falling asleep three hours previous.

Grey and Saren know it's a stupid job, but they must do everything their bosses tell them. Or else. Which is enough said for the poor interns. Each came for their own ambition, hoping to learn all about the scientific side to running a lab and performing tests. But all they learned is everyone's coffee order, how to work the printers and 3-D printers, and why being an intern sucks.

The only thing that made the grueling job bearable was the fact Saren was there. Grey loved the fact he got to spend hours talking to her about... well? Everything. Their conversation flowed from one topic to another, as if they had been friends their entire lives.

"Hey!" Saren called from the back. Grey looked up from the mess of folders curiously. She smiles and holds up Mr. Wrinkle, the paper that refused to die. Grey breaks into an easy grin and laughed, "And he lives," he answered semi-dramatically.

Saren giggled and slapped Mr. Wrinkle back on the wall, adjusting his tape. "This paper will live on forever."

"Yep."

Memories of midnight rush back to Grey's mind, reminding him of the crazy side of Saren when she's exhausted. As she was shredding papers, she came across a paper that was very outdated and put it into the shredder. But it had a large wrinkle down the center and almost broke the shredder.

After a moment of panic, Grey managed to get it back out. They tried to flatten it again but the shredder wouldn't take it. So they ended up naming it Mr. Wrinkle, the invincible paper and taped it to the wall to watch over them. Saren even drew a face on it with a top hat, a monoglass, and a bowtie.

Grey smiled at the fond memory, knowing he bonded with Saren during those crazy and hyper times. He saw her silly side last night and it made him love her even more. He just hoped she liked his horrible puns and he didn't embarrass himself in front of her.

There are some days where he finds himself hiding in his room, far away from everyone else in the lab. He found himself hating the fact that there was so many people in the lab and hid away for the most part. But Saren was the only thing that brightened Grey's boring intern days. Her smile could make his day light up and their conversations encourage him to remain level-headed even around the most annoying scientist in the entire company, Alex.

"Do you want to grab some coffee soon?" Saren asked as she shreds another paper. Her eyes focused on her lightning fast hands, obviously hurrying the process.

Grey nodded, "Yeah, I'd love to."

His mind begins to chant VICTORY as his heart lights up with excitement. Maybe we really did bond over this stupid task, maybe this paved the way out of the friendzone...

"Great," she answered brightly, "then let's get a move on."

Grey nodded as he moved another pile to the floor and opening up another bland manilla folder. "Got it."

Through their exhaustion, the two lowly interns managed to finish off the filing room organizing at seven-ten. When they finished, Saren let out a victory cheer and nearly ran out of the room. Grey managed to calm her down and remind her that they needed to act professional but she smirked and lightly smacked his cheek.

"We're interns, Grey. There's nothing professional about us," she sang, her eyes light up despite her exhaustion.

Grey laughed and rubs his cheek, "We still need to be serious. At least around other people."

She only shrugged, "It's not like they're going to actually hire us."
Grey reeled, staring at her shocked she would even say that. She is usually very positive about her job, but to say she won't even work here? He shook his head, "Being an intern is a way in. Remember?"

Saren sighed taking a step away from him, the atmosphere of the room darkening to a serious tone. Saren turned from him, "I know, but... maybe I don't want to work here."

Grey's eyes widened for a moment. He frowned, "Saren this isn't like you... I thought you wanted to work here." With me.

She exhaled loudly as she faced the door, "I do... I did..."
"So what happened?" Grey demands as he stared at her, still holding a pile of papers.

Saren wrapped her arms around herself, "I don't know... I just... I just don't feel like I am meant to work here."

Grey's eyes narrowed, "It was him again, wasn't it?"
Saren remained quiet.

He fought to urge to march up to her and try talking sense into her. He doesn't want to ruin the budding relationship they have, but he still feels protective over her. As he watched her face darken, her thick golden hair slips over her shoulders almost shielding her beautiful face from view. Grey's heart sinks at the sight of it.

Him is Saren's official boss. He's the scientist in charge of marine studies, one of the best in the business and highly respected in his field. But everyone knows Dr. Bruce is a creep, at least among the younger employees. Dr. Bruce has been working for the company for decades and won't be fired any time soon, allowing for any type of behavior. Even if it means nearly cornering the most beautiful girl in the world.

Saren has told Grey about what happens behind closed doors. The way Dr. Bruce watches her makes her uncomfortable, sometimes even scared to be alone with him. Nothing has actually happened, but Grey doesn't want to take any chances. Saren is an innocent girl, which isn't a bad thing, but this puts her in a dangerous situation that Grey wants to keep her away from.

"You can't let him control what you do, this is your dream," Grey argued, "you have to tell someone, I'm sure they will understan-"

"Look," Saren cut him off, turning farther from him, "I don't want to cause any trouble. And I don't want to deal with him anymore, I just can't. If working here means I have to deal with creeps like him then I want no part in it."

Grey's face fell as he realized she was right. This is a dangerous place for her. But he also knows it's her dream. "If you just tell someone," he pleaded, taking a cautious step towards her. He bit his lip for a moment then sighed, "But if that is what you want to do..."

Saren turned back to him with a new expression in her eyes, something like worry. "I know you're worried about me... you..." she trailed off as the words seem to retreat from her lips. "Ever since I came here, you have been nothing but kind and understanding. I don't want to hold you back..."

"Nothing you do could ever hold me back," he answered softly, "all you do is remind me why life is worth every breath."

She gasped softly looking shocked.

Grey panicked and takes a quick step back realizing he went too far. He turned back to the table as his face heated up, scolding himself in every way possible for saying that out loud.

Suddenly, he felt her hand brush over his shoulder blades. He tensed at the touch, daring to breathe almost convinced this is a hallucination from lack of sleep. He only stared down at the boring folders, unsure if he wanted to look back at her.

"Greyson..." Saren whispered gently. "You have to understand... I do love being here with you. I love our times together, even if the task itself sucks... I mean, without you, Mr. Wrinkle wouldn't exist."
Unable to help it, he cracked a smile.

Saren chuckled, "You make being an intern worth it. And I don't want to lose that. So everyday, I remind myself why I am here. To learn, and hang out with my friend."

He tried not to grimace at the word friend. He loved the fact they are friends, but he can't help but to yearn for more. But he shook his head, "I don't want to put you in a dangerous situation by keeping you here. You are right, if you don't feel safe then you should leave."

She remained silent for a moment.

Grey held his breath, expecting her to walk away from him. He knew it was for the best if she left. At least... Dr. Bruce wouldn't be able to watch her anymore. At least she can be safe-

"Grey?"

He looked back at her hesitant.

She stood directly behind him, her hand pressed against his back. His eyes flicked to her soft lips, imaging what they would feel like pressed against his. Then he saw her smile, her small dimples appearing.

"How about this," she suggested sweetly, "we have two more months to our internship. I'll stay for it all as long as we get to hang out all the time."

Hang out... all the time?

She nodded, "I know it may sound weird..." She brushed a lock of her hair back, avoiding eye contact for a moment, "but... you make me feel safe. If I... well, what I'm asking..." she blushed as she began to stumble over her words.

Grey smiled softly, "Protection?"

She paused before nodding, "Yes, protection. You're my only friend here, and I don't want to be alone to face..." Her face twists up with disgust, "him."

"I understand," Grey answered as his heart soared. "Let's stick by each other. I mean, who else is going to stop you from trying to become camouflage again?"

Finally, the serious mood broke and Grey felt like everything was right in the world again. Saren smiled and Grey fell even harder for the beautiful intern. She laughed and nodded, "Exactly."

Saren bounced for a moment before walking towards the door, "Come on! Let's go get coffee before we have to go back to work again. I can sense a storm coming."
"There was a storm last night," he pointed out as he straightened his lab coat. He walked towards her, shoving his hands into his pockets like he always does. He takes his time as she pries the heavy door open. The light blinded the both of them since they have been stuck in a dark room for the past fifteen hours.

Saren hangs in the doorway shaking her head, "No, I mean a paperwork storm. Turns out they captured a tiger shark!"

Grey lit up for a moment, "A tiger shark? Hey do you think they'll let us study it?"
Saren smiled weakly, also feeling the familiar tug of curiosity. Their main goal for becoming an intern after all was to study the marine creatures and research process, but they've been stuck organizing files all day and haven't set foot in the actual underwater lab in weeks. But she shrugged, "Maybe we'll get lucky this time!"

He walked past her before holding the door open for her. He gestures her to go forward earning her radiant smile as she passed him. Grey smiled as she watched her walk down the hall, her heels back on her feet making her the same height as him. She beckoned him to follow starting to pick up the pace.

"Come on before they run out of doughnuts!" she called excitedly.

He laughed, "I'm just giving the others a head start. Once you get there, all the doughnuts will have 'mysteriously disappeared'."

She scoffed, "Are you forgetting Pizza Night?"

He caught up to her easily as they continue down the hall. Grey smiled smugly, "Worth every bite."

Saren gasped and smacked his arm, "You ate three whole pizzas! THREE WHOLE PIZZAS!"

He lifted his head with a victory smile, "Yes, yes I did."

She groaned before laughing.

"Let's go before the real scientists get there," Grey urged, picking up his pace now. He flashed her a smug smile as he watched her roll her eyes.

"As if! We are the true masterminds!" she shouted proudly, as they walked down the winding white hall. "Interns will rule the world!"

Grey laughed before shushing her, now almost jogging alongside her. Saren grinned excitedly, "Let them hear me! I speak the truth!"

"Truth later, food now."

"Spoken like a true college student," she joked before suddenly grabbing his wrist. Grey almost stops jogging but she's already dragging him along with her. She starts running laughing loudly, "Come on!"

Grey smiled realizing he never wanted to meet another girl in his entire life. If he had Saren, that would be everything to him. He ran along with her towards the cafeteria wondering what fate had in store for them. One things' for sure, if he could be by Saren's side forever, he'd do anything. Even if it meant remaining an underpaid intern for the rest of eternity.