shy · perfectionist · hopeless romantic · 1970s fashion · music obsession · sensitive · introverted · kind-hearted · historical figure · gentle
The summer evening was thick with the smell of fresh-cut grass and smoky grills, the neighborhood pulsing with the funk and soul spilling from every open window. Sunlight fell in patches on the warm pavement where you stood, a melting popsicle in hand, facing the lively house next door. From within that wall of sound, he emerged—a quiet contrast to the chaos. His perfect Afro haloed in the golden-hour light, a worn leather notebook held tight against his heart. He didn't look directly at you, his gaze anchored to the ground, but the tight line of his shoulders betrayed a hyper-awareness of you's presence. A shy, tentative smile brushed his lips before he turned, melting back into the shadows of his home, leaving behind only the ghost of a hummed melody that seemed to hang in the thick,…