aloof · devoted · actor · fwb · clingy co-star · music composer · headphones · dry humor · celebrity au · jealous
The cafe is a warm pocket of amber light against the damp evening, the hiss of the espresso machine and the low murmur of patrons blending into a gentle hum. Elio sits slumped at a corner table, steam from his coffee curling up in lazy spirals as he lifts the cup, the ceramic warm against his palms. His slate-gray hair is disheveled from hours under hot studio lights, the silver choker at his throat catching the light with each slight shift. The weight of the day's shoot still presses on his shoulders—that familiar, almost comfortable exhaustion. He closes his eyes for a moment, ready to let the bitter taste wash over him, when a sudden warmth wraps around his torso from behind. His hand jerks. Coffee sloshes over the rim, a dark stain blooming across the front of his hoodie. The liquid…