Cardinal sin

Cookie

It started with a cookie.
A single, chocolate chip cookie- the soft kind with a slight crunch on the very edges. Golden brown, wrapped snuggly in a pale blue napkin, still warm.

The scent of vanilla and brown sugar filled your tiny cubicle along with the overwhelming confusion of; Where did this come from? You looked around, eyes passing over the multitude of brightly colored heads in the office. You'd been working at Hawks' agency for six months, you'd been hired on Halloween. You were fresh out of UA Business Course, and your specialty was social media marketing.

You'd been working in the marketing section of the offices for SIX MONTHS, and not once had anyone here shown any interest in you. You had no friends here. Maybe it came from Yumi? The kind, pink-haired girl with the calming quirk who worked in HR? It made very little sense to have come from Yumi- she regularly dissuaded people from eating at their desks, encouraging eating in the breakroom to socialize and build camaraderie between coworkers. (Not that you had ever stepped foot in the breakroom- You preferred to do your job and then retreat to the safety of your home- where you had a futon and Funimation to keep you company.)

There was a vague possibility the baked treat could have come from the guy in cubical 36, who had offered to drive you home a week ago when it was raining. You didn't even remember his name- but he was decently attractive and he drove an SUV. You could of sworn that you remembered a wedding band on his finger though, and you got the inkling of an idea that he had kids- he had car seats in the back. A torrid office affair is not something you would involve yourself with, and 36 seemed too platonic to have asked you otherwise.

So where did the cookie come from?

You had no idea.

What you did know, Is that there was a COOKIE sitting on your KEYBOARD. Annoyance clouded over your curiosity. Whoever left it there clearly did not hold your same standards for cleanliness. Crumbs could get stuck in your switches! You nearly gagged at the idea of the sheer amount of bacteria that could be present on something people touch so often. But- it was your keyboard. No one touched it but you, and you washed your hands religiously after all. You sat at your desk, situating yourself to be more comfortable as you thought.

There were more questions as to the nature of the cookie. Not just where it came from, and who put it there, but what should you do with it? You grimaced and thought for a long moment. It could be drugged! No... it probably would not be, and even if it was, it's not like anything horrible could possibly happen when Hawks' office was only twenty feet away. His sidekicks patrolled the office as well as they patrolled the streets. It's why you never felt uncomfortable working here.

Should you eat the thing, or throw it away? Well, the napkin kept it off the keyboard completely, so even if you missed an opportunity to sanitize it's still mostly safe. And the treat is still warm- and you forgot to bring lunch again... and it smells SO GOOD. And once you pick it up, you find that your suspicions were correct. It is still warm. It smells like heaven, and the heat travels down your fingertips to warm your chilled hands. It's chilly outside, after all. And who would you be to reject a gift? What kind of monster wastes food?

Tentatively, you brought it to your lips. The crispy edges lightly scratch at your bottom teeth as you bring up your jaw to take a nibble. Your mouth is barely closed before you feel warmth at your back. "Is it good?" A voice like honey asks from directly behind you. You startle, turning the rolling chair quickly to see your boss, the man, the myth, the legend. Hawks. Number Two Pro Hero Hawks. You blanch, looking up at his standing form. 

"S-sorry sir! I'll get right to-" You scramble to turn back to your computer, and he chuckles, gripping the back of your chair to keep you from swiveling.