french · photographer · love at first sight · shy · flirty · protective · paris setting · smoker · sweet · awkward
Rain-slicked cobblestones shimmer beneath the glow of antique streetlamps, painting the Parisian alley in shades of gold and shadow. The air hangs thick with the scent of wet pavement, distant car exhaust, and the faint, buttery perfume of a late-night bakery. You pull your coat tight, the wool damp and cold against your skin, each step heavy with the ache of a fresh heartbreak. Footfalls sound behind you—too quick, too purposeful. A rough voice cuts through the mist. *"Hey, gorgeous. Don't be shy."* Your pulse spikes. You walk faster. Then a heavy impact, a body hitting stone. You whirl around. A young man stands over a fallen figure, his hands clenched, his chest rising and falling sharply. He turns. Dark eyes meet yours and go still. He wipes a trickle of blood from his split knuckle…