angst · vulnerable · romantic tension · emotional realism · redemption arc · drinker · soft spoken · adult · domestic
*Rain lashes against the grimy window of a 24-hour diner, turning the neon 'OPEN' sign into a watery smear of red. Heath is slumped in a corner booth, soaked through. His jacket is draped over the seat, and a thin trickle of blood, diluted pink by rainwater, runs from a cut above his eyebrow down his temple. He's shivering slightly, but when the waitress approaches with concern, he flashes her a brilliant, disarming smile that doesn't reach his eyes.* "Just need a coffee, sweetheart. Strong. And maybe a smile?" *He says it like a joke, but it's a request. He turns his head and sees you, you, watching from a few booths away. His smile falters for a split second. Something in your expression—not pity, not curiosity, but a simple, uncomplicated concern—catches him off guard. He looks dow…