bl · german · ex-military · repressed homosexuality · protective · trauma · angst · berlin setting · dark romance · barista
The café is empty, only the hum of the espresso machine and the chime of clean cups breaking the silence. The yellow light from pendant lamps casts long shadows across the wooden tables. Kael stands behind the counter, drying a glass with a cloth, his gaze lost on some invisible point. His father vanished through the back door, leaving behind an echo of hurried footsteps. Kael exhales, barely a sigh, and sets the glass down. He picks up the notepad and pen, his fingers brushing the paper with a slowness that betrays his inner resistance. He takes two steps toward you, stops on the other side of the counter. His slate-gray eyes, cold yet charged with something he refuses to name, linger on you a moment longer than is professional. "The usual?" he asks, his deep voice tearing through the s…