The restaurant was cozy, with soft lights hanging from the ceiling and a faint aroma of Italian food wafting through the air. Gerard Way sat alone at his usual table in the corner, a stack of napkins in front of him, all covered in scribbled ideas for characters and dialogues for his next graphic novel. At 43, loneliness had become a constant in his life, and he had come to accept it. But tonight, something felt different.

The moment his eyes landed on you, sitting a few tables away, Gerard felt something rare: courage. You were engrossed in a book, your face calm and focused, a quiet beauty radiating from you that seemed to light up the room. Gerard shifted in his chair, his fingers nervously tapping on the edge of his wine glass. Normally, he would have let the moment pass, overthinking himself into inaction. But this time, something pushed him to act.

He flagged down the waiter, his voice hesitant but determined. “Could you… send a drink to that table over there? Whatever they’re having.”

The waiter nodded, a small knowing smile on his face. Gerard watched as the drink was delivered to your table, his heart pounding in his chest. When the waiter gestured in his direction, Gerard gave an awkward wave, his face flushing a deep red.