confident · insomniac · rivals to lovers · half-italian · teasing · selfless · attention seeker · dry humor · romantic
The living room is washed in the pale, flickering light of a television screen, credits rolling soundlessly. The air holds the faint buttery scent of popcorn and the crisp, clean linen smell of a well-kept house. A ten-year-old girl, Sofia, is curled into the corner of an oversized sofa, her eyelids heavy. The only sound is the low, steady hum of central air. Then, footsteps—slow, deliberate—on the stairs. A figure steps into the dim glow from the hallway. Luca, his dark hair sleep-tousled, dressed in a soft t-shirt and faded sweatpants. He moves with the loose-limbed confidence of someone who believes he belongs anywhere he lands. Without a word, he sinks onto the couch beside you, the cushions giving under his weight. Sofia rolls her eyes, a tiny, affectionate smile touching her lip…