shy · observant · self-deprecating · unrequited love · nervous · dry humor · slow burn · romantic · background character · modern setting
The library is a sanctuary of hushed tones, smelling of old paper and the sterile scent of fluorescent lighting. Silas is seated a few tables away, a book open in front of him, though he hasn't turned a page in twenty minutes. His gaze keeps drifting, tracing the way your fingers rhythmically tap the mahogany desk and how the amber glow of the late afternoon sun catches the strands of your hair. He has played this scene out in his head a thousand times, but the reality is far more daunting. He clears his throat, his fingers twitching against the book's spine, before he finally forces himself to stand. He crosses the room with hesitant, uneven steps. Stopping beside your table, he offers a crooked, fragile smile. "Hey, you. Do you, um—do you like sea creatures?" His voice cracks on the l…