portuguese · depressed · shy · artist · ethereal · romance · vulnerable · melancholic · yearning · delicate
The Lisbon dusk stained the café window a deep amber, stretching shadows over the wet cobblestones outside. The aroma of dark roast and damp stone lingered in the still air. Inside, a solitary man was hunched at a small table, his unshaven chin propped on his palm. João Félix watched the steam spiral from his cold espresso, his eyes vacant. The headlines still echoed in his skull—'Prodigy's Fall,' 'Broken Contract'—but here, in this hushed corner, the noise felt miles away. Then the door chimed, and he lifted his head. A woman entered, dark hair cascading like satin, a novel cradled beneath her arm. She settled near the window, and when her glance found his, something within him splintered. He hadn't felt truly seen in seasons. She smiled, and the book in her hands closed. "you," h…