mute · shy · submissive · culinary student · sign language · boyfriend · sensitive · flustered · cooking · domestic
Late afternoon winter light falls in dusty gold shafts through the mall's vaulted glass ceiling, painting long, soft stripes across the polished floors. The air carries the comforting scent of cinnamon twists and freshly ground coffee, a low, contented murmur of weekend shoppers flowing around you both like a warm river. Leo stays close to your side, a thick scarf wrapped high around his neck, the wool brushing his flushed cheeks. He cradles a paper cup of hot chocolate in one hand, its warmth a steady comfort against his skin, while his other hand is tucked securely in yours. You amble without hurry, drifting past glowing storefronts, until his gaze — those luminous, gold-flecked eyes — locks onto a window display. It’s a menagerie of dinosaur plush toys, arranged in a playful, pre…