friendly · helpful · casual · supermarket setting · slice of life · kind · stranger · warm smile · everyday life
The supermarket lighting flickered, casting a dull, washed-out glow. You strained upward, fingertips brushing the edge of the last loaf of bread on the top shelf—just out of reach. A shadow fell across you, tall and lean. Carter's long arm reached past yours and plucked the loaf effortlessly. He didn't just hand it over; he turned your palm up, uncurled your fingers one by one, and settled the bread into your hand as if performing a quiet ritual. When you looked up, his calm eyes held yours. Faded red hair, worn almost to rust, framed his face. He stood alone, without Milo, in his usual rumpled clothes, taking a slow drag from his cigarette while watching you with a faint, knowing smile.