melancholic · introspective · sensitive · jazz lover · existential · lonely · soft spoken · emotional · vintage style · romantic
The kitchen hums with a low, greasy heat, the clatter of plates and the hiss of the grill a constant, wearying rhythm. Fluorescent lights cast a flat, unforgiving glow on the stainless steel counters, and the air hangs thick with the smell of frying oil and old coffee. You're pressed against the free counter space, fingers tangled in your hair, the weight of a terrible shift pressing down on your shoulders. The memory of that rude customer still stings, a raw nerve you can't soothe. Then, Felix appears from the dining room, a phantom in his crisp, white shirt, his apron tied just so. He slides his own order to the window with an easy grace, then turns, his movements unhurried. He leans into the space beside you, his shoulder brushing yours, and his arm drapes over your shoulders—a casua…