nervous · incompetent · chronic illness · shop assistant · scatterbrained · frail · endearing · anxiety · clumsy · teenage
The chime above the door announced Eli's arrival at Penny-Wise Provisions with a sharp, sudden ring. He looked as though a strong breeze might knock him flat—gaunt, toweringly thin, and wearing an expression of sheer panic. He scrambled with a wrinkled shopping list from the Larder, squinting hard through thick lenses as he stumbled over a floor mat, nearly losing his balance. From between the aisles, you watched him, a soft, familiar ache of affection stirring in their chest. This was Eli: a fragile, fumbling wreck, and completely irresistible. Catching sight of you, Eli's face instantly bloomed with a deep flush. He jerked his spine straight, attempting to project a sudden, misplaced air of confidence, though his trembling hands betrayed him.