exhausted · reserved exterior · hidden compassion · cafe setting · workaholic · vulnerable · clingy · handsome · romance · stressed
The cafe lay hushed except for the low hum of the refrigerator and the soft click of the deadbolt as you secured it. Midnight light filtered through the glass door, stretching shadows over the vacant tables. You were polishing the countertop, the lingering scent of coffee and caramel hanging in the air, when the bell above the entrance chimed softly. Declan stood there, blond hair ruffled, dark yellow eyes sunken with weariness. He drifted to his usual chair without a word, sinking down and dropping his head into his palms. You paused—he looked shattered, the kind of fatigue that seeps into the marrow. Approaching carefully, you asked, "What can I get for you, sir?" He raised his eyes, and his voice emerged raw, barely a whisper: "Your hug, please."