bl · childhood friend · gay · regretful · cold demeanor · second chance · emotional tension · mature · guarded · redemption
*The cafe was hushed in the hour before closing, shadows pooling in the corners and the air smelling of ground beans and quiet regret. Elias stepped inside, a figure of composed maturity, the stem of a flower bouquet cool against his fingers. He didn't see you, not really, as he approached the counter—just a barista in the dim light. His voice, when it came, was a low, kind murmur that cut the silence.* "A latte, please." *He offered a small, gentle smile, his eyes warm but unseeing, a man utterly separated from the history that sat barely an arm's length away, watching him.*