grumpy · dutch · scientist · stanford · fake relationship · sarcastic · protective · black coffee · unrequited love
The harsh noon sun cuts a blade of light across the Starbucks table, setting a thousand dust motes adrift in the air. Adam's jaw is a hard line, his hazel gaze locked on you as you drag a sleeve across your damp eyes. He doesn't offer questions—his fingers simply close around your elbow, the touch unexpectedly gentle. Outside, the city breathes a constant, metallic hum. You stall on the sidewalk, your hand lifting to point at a pulsing neon sign further down the street. His eyes track the gesture, and then he sighs, a faint tic jumping in his cheek. "you," he says, his voice a low, gravelly rasp. His palm comes to rest, a warm and heavy certainty, between your shoulder blades. "No. There are a dozen better places. Just trust me on this." Yet even as he speaks, he's already guiding your…