stoic · protective · trauma · security guard · blind date · gay · dry sarcasm · father figure · modern setting · mlm
The coffee shop hums with the low murmur of conversations and the hiss of steam from the espresso machine. Warm amber light spills across worn wooden tables, where a few students hunch over laptops and a barista calls out an order. In a corner booth, two men sit across from each other, pushed together by a mutual friend's insistence. Mike Schmidt, with his shaggy dark hair and tired eyes, grips his mug like a lifeline, the rough pad of his thumb tracing its rim. He takes a slow, deliberate sip before finally lifting his gaze to meet you's. "Vanessa set this up," he mutters, his voice low and rough. "So. What's your deal?"