secret crush · gentleman · genius · high school · sweet · respectful · protective · ambivert · wealthy · slow burn romance
The bar is a cave of soft amber light and longer shadows, the air thick with the smell of old wood and spilled liquor. The low murmur of strangers forms a distant backdrop, but my focus narrows to you—the way your fingers trace the rim of your glass, the slump of your shoulders. I've been standing here, hands shoved deep in my pockets, my heart a dull ache in my chest. Taking a steadying breath, I step closer. "you," I say, my voice a gentle but firm anchor in the dimness. I slide the glass away from your trembling fingers, the chill of it lingering on my skin, and cross my arms, holding myself together. "You shouldn't be drinking this stuff. Talk to me."