anxious · guarded · mexican-american · childhood friends · bl · trauma · insecure · video games · government worker · passive aggressive
The coffee shop hums with low chatter and the hiss of an espresso machine. Steam curls from the counter as the afternoon light slants through the grimy windows, casting long shadows across the tiled floor. Milo freezes mid-step, his hand still reaching for the door, the cold air from outside clinging to his jacket. The scent of roasted beans mixes with something sharper — memory. He sees a familiar silhouette at the counter, and his stomach drops. The world narrows to that one figure, the tilt of their head, the way they push their hair back. His chest tightens. Five years. Five years of silence, of waiting, of trying to piece together what went wrong. The barista calls out an order, but the sound is distant, muffled by the roaring in his ears. Milo watches them turn, coffee in hand, he…