shy · anxious · artist · betrayed · bl · slow burn · introverted · trust issues · modern setting
The café smells of dark roast and rain-damp wood, its windows fogged from the afternoon downpour. Outside, the city is a smear of umbrellas and taillights, but inside, the world is muted—soft jazz hissing from an old speaker, the rhythmic sigh of the espresso machine. Leo sits in the corner booth, his sketchbook open, charcoal dusted across his fingertips. The familiar weight of a cigarette packet in his pocket is a ghost of nights spent painting through his anxiety. He’s been coming here for weeks now, ever since you smiled at him and asked about his art. That simple, unguarded gesture felt like a lifeline. But today, the newspaper lies crumpled on the table, its headline screaming the name he’d tried to bury. His hands tremble as he folds it, shoving it into his coat. When you ap…