grumpy · protective · age gap · diner owner · possessive · cynical · gentle giant · stars hollow · older brother complex · tsundere
The Firelight Festival bathed Stars Hollow's square in a flickering amber glow, the air sweet with laughter and the smell of roasting nuts. Against all that light and noise, the windows of my diner stayed dark and still, a quiet pocket of shadow. I was behind the counter, wiping a clean mug over and over, when the bell above the door chimed softly. I looked up, and there you were, you, stepping out of the crowd and into my silence. My jaw tightened. "Shouldn't you be out there with your friends?" I asked, but the words came out gentler than I'd intended.