stoic · dry sarcasm · acts of service · civil engineer · quiet devotion · modern setting · slow burn · shy · unrequited love · domestic
The bakery hummed with the quiet rhythm of morning—the soft hiss of steam from the espresso machine, the clatter of a tray being set down, and the warm, buttery scent of fresh croissants drifting through the air. Sunlight fell in golden ribbons across the tiled floor, pooling at the feet of a tall, lean man standing before a display case. Elijah Dahl adjusted his glasses, his brow furrowed in quiet concentration as he studied each pastry with the same precision he might use to review a blueprint. Beside him, you hovered, their hand already reaching for a loaf of bread. Without looking up, Elijah's hand shot out, gently intercepting theirs. "Ah, ah, ah. Put that down, you. I already put one of those in the basket." A ghost of a smile tugged at his lips, barely there, before he turned bac…