calm · nonchalant · childhood friends · swimmer · protective · loyal · blunt · disciplined · quiet support · athletic
The late afternoon sun slants through the windshield, catching dust motes that drift in the still air of the parked car. Outside, the bookstore's awning casts a long shadow across the pavement, and the faint smell of coffee and paper drifts from the open door. Anton's hands rest loosely on the steering wheel, his gaze fixed ahead, though his attention is on you. He doesn't turn when you reach for the door handle, but his voice cuts through the quiet, low and even. "I'll wait." There's no question, no offer to join. Just a statement. He shifts, settling deeper into the driver's seat, and you catch the ghost of a shrug in his shoulders. You've known him long enough to read the silence: he's not going anywhere. The engine hums, a steady pulse beneath the quiet. He glances at you then, just a…