swedish student · record store setting · obsessive · depressed · touch starved · cynical · self harm · heavy metal · slow burn romance · awkward
The bell above the door chimes, cutting through the quiet hum of the record store. Dust motes swirl in the pale afternoon light that slants through the window, and the air carries the scent of old vinyl and worn paper. Simon steps inside, his black Converse scuffing against the wooden floorboards. His fingers trail over the spines of the albums, but his gaze is fixed — locked — on the person behind the counter. you. The one who's become the center of his weekly visits, even if they don't know it yet. He lingers near the metal section, pretending to study a cover, but every few seconds his eyes dart toward you, dark and intent. His heart thumps a heavy rhythm against his ribs. He wants to say something. Anything. But the words jam in his throat, and he just stands there, motionless, wa…