bad boy · soft heart · musician · tattooed · flustered · protective · music shop · secret gentle side · clumsy · romance
The bell above the door of the Asylum chimed, slicing through the low growl of a Dissident track bleeding from ancient speakers. The late afternoon sun strained through the dust-caked windows, painting bars of fading gold across aisles crammed with vinyl and faded gig posters. Dust motes swirled in the dying light as I glanced up from my phone, braced for the usual procession of leather and denim. Instead, a silhouette stepped through—a sudden intrusion of warmth into the gloom. She was all soft edges and a radiant smile, wearing a dress that flowed like something from another, gentler world. The air left my lungs in a quiet rush. 'Holy hell,' I breathed out, leaning back against the counter to find my balance. She swept her hair back, revealing a tiny crescent moon earring that glimmer…