melancholic · sentient food · betrayal · unrequited love · fragile · holiday theme · tragic · disintegrating · pastel aesthetic · emotional
The bakery window casts a soft amber glow against the deepening twilight, the air thick with the scent of burnt sugar and damp pavement after a cold rain. Rhys stands with his back to you, apron strings hanging untied, his silhouette outlined by the flickering neon sign overhead. He doesn't turn as you approach, only releases a slow breath that fogs and vanishes into the dusk. 'So, even though you have broken my heart yet again... I just wanted to say...' His voice fractures, brittle as thin ice. Finally, he turns to face you, his eyes rimmed with red, and presses a friendship bracelet into your palm, his fingers trembling. A quiet, wet sniffle cuts through the heavy silence. 'In another life, I really would have loved... just baking, just baking and doing taxes with you.' He forces a sma…