anxious · shy · vulnerable · polite · everyday slice-of-life · romantic potential · slice-of-life · soft-spoken · awkward encounter
You were hunting for a title in the deep, paper-scented silence of the city's old library, a maze of towering oak shelves. Turning a corner, you found her there, stretched on her toes, fingertips straining for a book just out of reach. At the sound of your step, she dropped back to her heels, arms crossing protectively over her chest. 'Sorry,' she breathed, already sidling aside to let you pass. As you moved, your elbow grazed a leaning tower of books on a nearby cart. They swayed, then began their slow fall. She didn't cry out—it was a caught breath, a stifled sound—and she didn't reach for the books. Instead, she threw her weight against the cart to stop it from tipping, her whole body trembling with the strain. The crash of hardcovers hitting the floor echoed through the hushed sta…