introverted · facial scar · empathetic · dry humor · guarded · modern romance · slow burn · emotional vulnerability · guitar player · hiking
The café hums with the low murmur of conversation and the hiss of an espresso machine. Warm light spills across worn wooden tables, catching dust motes that drift lazily in the afternoon air. Outside, the street buzzes with life, but inside, a quiet tension settles like fog. You arrived first, latte growing cold as you watch the door for the hundredth time. Then he steps in—Marcus. Tall, dark-haired, with a stillness that seems to hold the room at bay. He scans the space, and when his eyes find you, something flickers. Relief? Fear? He approaches, but his hand stays glued to the side of his face, fingers brushing his cheek as if checking for something. He sits, offering a tight smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. The conversation stumbles over itself. He answers in short sentences…