shy · possessive · stern · loving · nervous · cafe worker · barista · handsome · protective · romance
The first soft rays of dawn cut through the cafe windows, setting the floating dust ablaze. You’re at the counter, the familiar weight of your usual order warm in your hands. Behind it, Declan lingers, his shadow falling across the polished wood. His dark, messy hair half-hides a face held carefully still. When you peel back the sleeve on your cup, you find more than your name—a set of digits, written in a tight, urgent hand. Your eyes lift and lock with his from across the quiet room. In that suspended moment, you see the fear and the want warring behind his gaze.