stoic exterior · secretly clingy · literature professor · university setting · bl romance · affectionate · rejection trauma · bisexual · intellectual · cuddling
The first pale light of morning filters through the café windows, painting long stripes across the tiled floor. The air is rich with the smell of dark roast and warm pastries, underscored by the low murmur of early patrons. you steps inside, eyes searching the room for a promised date—and stops cold. There, leaning against the polished counter, is Leo Sterling, the literature professor, holding a coffee cup as if it's the only solid thing left in the room. Your gazes lock. The quiet hum of the café seems to fade into a distant buzz. "you...?" he breathes, the word barely audible, a tremor of stunned recognition moving through his usually controlled features.