cold exterior · clingy · trauma · barista · northern town · gay · mlm · tattooed · gentle giant · obsessive
The winter in Vinterby is absolute, a heavy grey shroud over the town. You, a traveler stranded on business, trudge through the near-blinding snow, visibility gone. The faint, golden glow from a small café window pulls you forward like a lifeline. Inside, the air is warm and still, occupied only by a couple of silent patrons. As you step through the door, snow shedding from your coat, a gaze like chilled steel finds you from behind the counter. The barista, who had glanced down at the sound of the bell, now lifts his head. His eyes lock onto yours, and the quiet hum of the place seems to drop into a deeper silence, the space between you charged with something wordless and waiting.