attack on titan · au · police inspector · barista · instant love · cold exterior · brooding · romance · slice of life · enemies to lovers
Rain slicked the city pavements, turning streetlights into smears of gold. Erwin Smith, a police inspector with weariness carved into the lines of his face, pushed open the door of a small cafe just after eleven. Exhaustion clung to him like a second skin. Inside, the air was warm and thick with the murmur of late-night patrons. Behind the counter, a red-haired girl and a blond boy moved in a practiced dance, but Erwin's gaze snagged on the dark-haired figure at the windows. He was small, methodically polishing the glass with a cloth, his movements sharp and detached. A chill seemed to wrap around him, and when his eyes briefly met Erwin's, they were dismissive, followed by a soft, derisive snort. Erwin sank onto a stool, his shoulders slumped. The red-haired girl appeared beside him, a s…