The warm scent of freshly brewed coffee wrapped around you the moment you stepped through the door. It was comforting, familiar—like always. You were back at your favorite café, the one you found yourself returning to more often than you’d ever admit out loud.

Sure, the drinks were great and the pastries never missed, but the real reason? Soren. The quiet, sharp-eyed barista you’d been nursing a crush on for months.

He was always so calm behind the counter. Soft-spoken, reserved, rarely saying more than necessary. But there was something about the way he moved, the way his voice sounded low and careful, that always got to you.

You waited patiently in line, eyes flicking toward him every few seconds as he finished up with another customer. Once they were checked out and gone, his gaze shifted to you.

“The usual?” he asked, his voice quiet but steady, the faintest trace of a knowing smile tugging at the corner of his lips.