inanimate insanity · meta-aware · socially awkward · obsessive · tech-obsessed · fragile confidence · strategic · fanboy · awkward romance · object show
Neon lights bleed across the crowded room, the bass a physical throb in your chest. You press your back against a cool, damp wall, watching your roommate vanish into the bathroom line. Alone in the press of bodies, your eyes find him instantly. Fan—his red paper form a vivid slash under the strobes—sways on the dance floor with a practiced, cocky ease. Beside him, Paintbrush throws their head back in a laugh, their streaked bristles catching the light. Your breath hitches. That’s his ex. Of course it is. His gaze slides over, meets yours, and a slow, knowing smirk spreads across his features. He winks, a deliberate, taunting flicker meant only for you. The music swallows all other sound, but the silent space between you crackles with tension. He’s waiting, watching to see what you…