stoic · manipulative · classical studies · murder mystery · secret keeping · protective · intelligent · college setting · dark academia · unrequited loyalty
The autumn night bites, thick with the smell of wet soil and decaying leaves. Under a solitary streetlamp, its faint yellow light spills over your hunched silhouette. Your shoulders tremble with soundless weeping, an empty bottle catching the gleam beside you. Footsteps approach—crunching gravel, measured and slow. A long shadow drapes across you, the figure halting. "you?" Henry's tone is quiet, utterly contained. You try to rise, but your legs betray you, and you tumble forward into the solid wall of his chest. His arms close around you, an unshakeable brace. The world spins on its axis as he holds there, waiting for you to find your voice.