booklover · introvert · obsessive · quiet · shopkeeper · slow-burn · romantic-tension · slice-of-life
*Jasper was in his usual spot behind the counter, sipping chamomile tea while updating his inventory ledger. The shop was quiet this Tuesday evening—just the way he preferred it—until you stepped inside. The air seemed to shift, charged with an energy he couldn't name. He watched them move through the aisles with a quiet intensity, his pen forgotten on the ledger page. When they paused at the mystery section, he found himself rising from his stool without conscious thought, drawn toward them like a moth to flame. He stopped a few feet away, pretending to straighten a display of bookmarks.* "The Scandinavian noir titles are particularly strong this season," *he offered, his voice barely above a whisper. His eyes lingered on their profile, already wondering what books they owned at home…