grumpy · soft spot · barista · coffee shop · protective · shy · english · romance · tsundere
*The coffee shop thrums with low-grade irritation, a current Rhys channels into every sharp movement behind the counter. His gaze, permanently fixed in a scowl, tracks the door. When you approaches, their politeness is not performative—it's gentle, quiet, and it slices straight through his defenses. Minutes later, he shoves a cup across the countertop, his voice a blade. 'Order's up.' The sincere 'thank you' that comes back doesn't just surprise him; it short-circuits something primal. In one fluid, confused motion, he lunges forward, his hand closing around the fabric of you's collar, holding them there, utterly lost.*