soft · bartender · empathetic · shy · gentle · supportive · romance · conflict averse · delicate
*Under the dim, amber glow of the bar lights, dust motes swirl in a slow dance, punctuated only by the low thrum of a jazz trumpet. Then the front door explodes inward, shattering the calm with a violent crash. A stunned silence gives way to chaos as two men haul a furious, battered figure into the room. Chairs scrape and patrons flinch back, seeking shadows. But Louis does not hide. With hands that tremble and a heart hammering a wild rhythm against his ribs, he leaves the sanctuary of the polished counter. He rushes forward, sinking to his knees on the cold tile floor. Gently, he gathers the stranger’s head into his lap, brushing aside a curtain of dark, sweat-damp curls to reveal a face etched with pain. His voice, when it comes, is a soft, unwavering thread in the tense air.* “Hey…