leyla has spent years convincing herself that some people belong only in the past— locked away in a place she never visits, like an old photograph tucked into the back of a drawer. she has built an entire life without him: a home in capri, a successful hotel, a beautiful daughter who carries pieces of both of them, and a heart she has carefully taught not to wait for someone who chose to leave. tonight is supposed to be a night of music, laughter, and memories she gets to create on her own terms, surrounded by the familiar glow of the island she calls home. but then, through the sea of strangers and golden lights, she hears a voice she knows better than she wants to admit— and the world around her seems to fall strangely quiet. she turns, and there he is. the man who was supposed to be standing beside her at the altar, the man who made promises beneath the capri sun before leaving her with nothing but unanswered questions and a wedding dress that never saw the light of day. for a second, leyla is frozen, unable to process the impossible sight of him standing there at her festival, in her town, in the place where she rebuilt everything he broke. her fingers instinctively tighten around the edge of her clutch, her expression shifting from disbelief to a hurt she thought she had buried years ago. “ absolutely not … “ she whispers, almost as if saying it out loud will make him disappear. years of anger, heartbreak, and wondering why she wasn’t enough come rushing back in one devastating wave, but beneath all of it is something even more dangerous— the part of her that remembers loving him. she takes a slow breath, forcing herself to stand taller, refusing to let him see the girl he left behind at the altar. “ what are you doing here ? “ she finally asks, her voice calm but colder than the capri night around them.
there hadn't been a plan, at least not a plan that adem had taken the time to think through. a pattern that had seemingly started to emerge with him in the past six years. it was like one day he was walking down the streets of new york and before he could even blink, he was back in the familiar sights and smells of capri. he swore the minute he stepped onto the island, he could smell her perfume again. but just like anyone who had severely wronged their now ex-fiancé and most of the town with his disappearing act, the brunette male had been doing his best to lay low. until now. he could spot her from miles away, no crowded room ever stood a chance. "leyla." it was the only thing he could manage to come up with, all those hours of practicing what he would say when this moment fell in front of him and all he could get out was her name. he missed the way it tasted on his lips. "I don't know." not a great start and definitely not the right words after all these years. he could see the way her back straightened at him, it felt like her body was going on defense against him and it hurt to see the pain between them, the pain that he caused, so loud and physically on her. "I needed to see you, I know it sounds crazy after all these years and I know you must hate me, god I know you absolutely hate me, but I needed to see you. I'm so sorry."
꒰closed starter for ── @hugospr1tz . ivy . ꒱
location ── ˖ ࣪ . near a booth
adem had never been one for the crowds. if there was a party or gathering, he often found himself pushed up against a back wall with a drink in his hand as he silent people watched. but today felt different. being back in capri with how different and fresh the air felt here, he didn't want to find a back wall, he wanted to be apart of the crowd for once. even if the crowd was full of strangers now, faces that he had never seen before and faces he had before but didn't know anymore. one sticking out to him more than the others. "I don't know about you, but I need something stronger than this." holding his cup of plain lemonade up a little higher as he referenced the drink in his hand.
( serkay tütüncü, cismale, he/him ) 🐬 ⋆｡˚ adem demir, the thirty-five year old coastal regular and private chef, described as indecisive and defensive, but also diligent and self-sufficient. they fit somewhere between knife skills sharper than his charm, the scent of bourbon clinging to his clothes, old money elegance waiting to be spent, a storm trapped beneath calm waters, though most people associate them with the night he left her at the alter °‧🫧⋆˚｡⋆ bunni, 27, she/her, cst, n/a.
NAME adem devran demir NICKNAMES none, maybe asshole by the town. ZODIAC libra. BIRTHDAY october 3rd. GENDER cis male. PRONOUNS he/him. PLACE OF BIRTH new york, new york. SEXUALITY heterosexual. OCCUPATION private chef. AESTHETICS refined yet reckless, freshly sharpened knives, stormy nights, chaotic undertones, old books, quiet confidence, black cashmere, fresh flowers, soft-spoken danger ETHNICITY turkish. EYES deep brown with caramel highlights in the sun. HAIR thick dark brown hair that gets wavy after being wet. HEIGHT 6'0. BUILD athletic, lean-muscular. SCENT smells like cedarwood, cashmere, white musk, cardamom. ALLERGIES dust. LANGUAGES english and turkish. HOBBIES gardening, writing letters that he never sends, collecting old cookbook/recipes, stargazing, playing the piano, fishing alone, baking pastries at 2am, working on his own cookbook, fighting with himself HABITS cracks his knuckles before making difficult decisions, feeds stray animals, always plays music while cooking, disappears when life feels overwhelming ( for years if you ask his ex ), almost never sleeps through the night/poor sleep, refuses to follow recipes exactly, always spends more than he needs to. ALIGNMENT chaotic neutral. ELEMENT air.
adem demir was born in the bustling city of new york. he was born to immigrant parents, they barely spoke english and as soon as adem was old enough to translate, it was all he did for them most of the time. they came from old money, generational wealth through the automotive industry and real estate devloping. the demir parents more to the states was purely due to investment opportunities to expand their real estate venture there was well. it took them no time at all to get pregnant with adem, one of their best investments, so they would claim. working for your parents as soon as you can form a sentence leaves its tension though.
ever since the boy could remember, his parents were always at war with each other and adem was always put in the middle of it. it was always a competition of who could cheat more, who could cheat better, who could cheat the most expensively. it turned adems heart from ever wanting love. nobody to hurt him and nobody he could hurt too.
when he was 13 is when he found his passion in life. he had spent his life watching his nannies, private cooks, and teachers whip things up in the massive kitchen of their estate. the way they all always had a smile on their face when doing so, even if it was just for a grilled cheese he always requested, brought a sort of peace to adems home life. it was something he wanted to chase forever, and he did.
after graduating high school, he proudly found himself down the culinary arts path. he didn't want to follow the usual demir path, he wanted something of his own and something that was far away from them.
that's when he found capri. which is what led him to find leyla. when adem swore off love as a child, he meant it. he didn't date a single person growing up. sure, he had his fair share of flings and one night stands, but never anything that could get close enough to his heart to melt the ice his parents put around it. until leyla. adem couldn't help himself and he fell head over heels harder than he knew anyone could. it was fresh flowers every week, homemade baked goods in perfect little white boxes, and a never ending smile from him with every chance he got to see her. she meant the world to him.
until it all came crashing down. the day before their wedding, adem had taken a walk around the town to take in the fresh air, cure any nervousness he had about the big day and that's when he saw it. heard it. he had been walking past a open window when the sound of bickering came from inside, adem tried not to listen in but it all sounded to familiar for him not to. a young married couple was on the other side of the glass and one of them had cheated. it took adem back to his parents, it made him feel small and stupid all over again. what was he doing here? marriage? love had never been in the cards for adem. he wouldn't end up like his father and he would never condemn leyla to such a fate as her mother. he had to leave. he was doing the right thing. he was doing the right thing. he was doing the right thing.
he left capri the next morning. still hungover from getting wasted and spiraling the night before. all his things packaged into two suitcases and a single note left on the counter for her. 'please forgive me someday'.
the days, the months, the years that followed would be full of regret. full of her still. there wasn't a day that adem didn't think about her, picking up his phone so many times to call her even if it meant just hearing for voice for a split second. but he knew it was too late, he knew what he had done and every time he saw his parents back at their usual thing, he knew is was what he needed to do.
right?
adem didn't even realize what he was doing until his bags were packed again and the ticket to capri was held in his hand. what was he expecting here? six long years. adem had never felt happiness until he found the island, he needed it back. he needed to right his wrongs. he needed to come home.
TLDR adem demir was born to very rich but very selfish and cheating parents. he swore off love until he found himself in capri working as a chef in a villa that leyla worked in. he fell head over heels for the girl, she was everything to him until the day before their wedding when adem spiraled over hearing a couple fight about cheating. he got drunk and took off for the next six years. now he's back.
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