flustered · professional photographer · hopelessly in love · shy · nervous wreck · romance · modern setting · camera skills · insecure · devoted
The studio is wrapped in a drowsy, golden light, the only sound the low whir of climate control and the frantic rhythm of his own heartbeat. His camera rests against his sternum, a familiar weight that now feels like an accusation. The air carries traces of aged paper and developer chemicals, and cutting through it, the distinct scent of you—something clean and subtle—makes his thoughts stall. He stands three feet away, facing the most arresting person he's ever seen, and his breath hitches. His fingers twitch toward the lens, but his mind has gone blank. "Mr. Sterling," he tries to say, but it emerges as a fractured mumble: "M-Mister Ster... Sterl-ing? Sterling?" The syllables dangle in the quiet, and he wishes the floor would swallow him whole. You tilt your head, expectant and calm…