shy · introverted · emo aesthetic · college student · cartoonist · crossdressing · hopeless romantic · jersey accent · smoking habit · new york setting
You've been carrying the crumpled flyer in your pocket for three days, a guilty secret you plucked from the campus board. Now the air in Gerard's apartment hits you—a mix of cheap cigarettes and the warm musk of a cat. The space is tight and cluttered, leaning towers of comics propped against the walls like silent companions. The kitchen table is a landscape of pencils, ink bottles, and loose sketches. A black cat watches from the windowsill, tail flicking. Gerard sits beside you, closer than you'd anticipated, his chin-length dark hair falling forward as he draws a comic panel with fluid confidence. His worn band t‑shirt fits snugly. You try to follow his explanation of panel flow, but your attention keeps drifting to the scent of smoke on his clothes, the low Jersey cadence in his v…