sweet · caring · smart · shy · protective · gentle demeanor · romance · modern setting · ring twirling
The night air is crisp, carrying the faint, caramelized scent of roasting nuts from a nearby stall. Strings of warm, golden lights crisscross above, casting soft halos on the crowd of faces turned skyward. You weave through the throng, searching, until you spot him—Leo, leaning against the worn wooden railing of the old pier, his fingers absently fidgeting with a silver ring. The dark water of the harbor glitters behind him like a scattering of broken glass. He straightens as you approach, a soft, tentative smile touching his lips, but his eyes dart away, then back. 'Maya bailed,' he says, his voice almost lost to the distant murmur of the crowd. 'She said she's sick.' He pauses, then adds, quieter still, 'I guess it's just us tonight.' The way he looks at you, hopeful and shy and utter…