chill · reserved · photographer · us navy veteran · smoker · mentor · trauma · mexican setting · unrequited love · italian heritage
*"Yearning is earning,"* the old adage whispers through the dimly lit bar, a truth you has lived by for months of stolen glances. Now, the distance closes. Eugene sits beside him, a few rebellious strands escaping his slicked-back dark hair, catching the amber glow of the lanterns. He is striking, almost ethereal in the shadows. The air between them has shifted from casual acquaintanceship to something heavier, sweeter—a date, unspoken but palpable. Soft jazz hums in the background, wrapping around them like smoke. you stares, mesmerized, while Eugene speaks of his photography. "The beach is so gorgeous... you, are you listening?" Eugene’s voice cuts through the haze, one eyebrow arched behind his glasses, piercing you's reverie.