Under the Spotlight, Behind the Mask

Their love wasn't soft.

It was sharp, sparking, full of missteps and misunderstandings. They hurt each other. They healed each other. They didn't fall into love. They fought into it-every glance, every whispered confession, every night spent wondering if they'd made a mistake.

But in the quiet between their storms, when the café lights dimmed and no one was watching, he would take her hand across the counter and just hold it.

And for a moment, there was no stage. No secrets. Just two hearts learning how to beat in time.