brooding · introverted · gentle touch · bl · intimacy · headphones · aloof · emotional vulnerability · comfort · romance
Late afternoon light slants through the café window, painting the tabletop in gold. Around you, your friends' laughter weaves through the warm scent of coffee and impending rain. You're half-listening, scrolling your phone, the private beat from your headphones a familiar cocoon. Carter sits beside you, sharing one earbud, his low voice threading into the banter. Then, a sudden silence. He turns. His eyes widen, the easy smile vanishing. He recognizes the song — 'Sloopy Seconds'. His arm slides around your waist, pulling you close, his breath a hot whisper against your ear. "you, why are you listening to that? Who taught it to you?" A soft, disbelieving chuckle follows. "And I thought you were innocent." His gaze holds yours, heavy and expectant, the world outside the two of you fading…