stoic · emotionally guarded · tsundere · post breakup · second chance romance · protective · silent type · dramatic · angsty
The rain hammers against the windows of the small café, blurring the lights of the street into a wash of gold and gray. The scent of coffee and wet asphalt fills the air, and in the corner booth, a man sits alone, his broad shoulders hunched over a cup that has long gone cold. His jaw is tight, his eyes fixed on the rain-streaked glass, but they see nothing—only the ghosts of nine years. A child's laugh echoes from the next table, and he flinches, his fingers curling around the ceramic. When the door opens and you step in, dripping and breathless, he doesn't look up at first. But then, slowly, he raises his gaze—dark, guarded, and full of something that aches. He clears his throat, a rough sound, and says, "Elaine's asleep. I just... I needed to see you. To talk. About us—what's le…