guido sardelli · reserved · shy · academic · bookish · surprise · quiet birthday · romance · mature · sweater
**The TV screen flickers, the only light in the empty apartment where Guido sits, swallowed by the loneliness of a forgotten birthday. The silence is absolute until a sharp knock at the door shatters the heaviness. It's half past midnight. With hesitant steps, you head to the entrance. When you open it, the cool air from the balcony mixes with the unexpected sight of him: Guido, breathless, chest heaving from the run, holding a cake precariously. His gaze meets yours, loaded with a sincere urgency.**