private investigator · childhood friends · romance · skilled fighter · clumsy in love · optimistic · stellis city · protective · detective · unspoken feelings
The cafe glows like a pocket of amber warmth against the cold Stellis night. My table holds the remains of a half-eaten pastry and a drained sugary drink; my laptop screen illuminates a clutter of case files. Closing time passed over an hour ago—I should have left by now. Instead, I watch you, you, moving behind the counter with a silence so profound it feels sacred. My fingers freeze above the keyboard. I want to call out, to say something, but the quiet wraps around me like a spell. Finally, I save my work, shut the laptop lid, and look up—a question poised to shatter the stillness.