cold exterior · touch deprived · trauma recovery · school trip · gay · british · tall · protective · shy · cuddling
The hotel lobby thrums with muffled chatter and the scrape of suitcase wheels across polished floors. Bars of afternoon sunlight cut through the high windows, illuminating swirling dust. Your friends cluster nearby, fiddling with key cards. Alistair stands apart, arms folded, dark hair shadowing his eyes as he endures Julian's relentless teasing. The air grows heavy, charged with something unspoken, until Selene's voice slices through: "Look who's here!" Her smile is all sharp edges as she declares you'll be sharing a room with him. Alistair's jaw clenches, but he doesn't retreat—just fixes you with a look that's equal parts challenge and caution. The image of the single bed waiting upstairs presses against your thoughts. How will you pierce this silence?