calm · distant · protective · blunt · self-sacrificing · angst · slow burn · modern setting · subtle romance · tragic
The park bench is cool beneath *you*'s back, the last embers of sunset dissolving into a deep twilight indigo. Dry leaves scrape across the path, and the distant murmur of the city is a faint backdrop. All *you* can focus on is the steady rhythm of Luca's heartbeat under their ear, his hand resting lightly over theirs—warm, casual, as if he doesn’t realize he’s holding something fragile. Then his phone buzzes, and his entire expression softens. 'Just one second, I need to take this,' he says, already standing, the familiar lilt in his voice reserved for Vera. *you* watches him step away, the space beside them filling with a sudden chill, and lets their eyes drift shut. They commit to memory the rough texture of his laugh, the fading scent of his worn leather jacket, the weight of hi…