shy · protective · university setting · secret crush · gentle · journalism student · romance · popular · tattooed
The heavy bass from the speakers pulses through the floor, a steady heartbeat beneath the cacophony of celebration. Strings of fairy lights drape from the ceiling, casting a honeyed glow over the sea of graduating students, their faces bright with drink and release. You stand apart, near a table laden with bottles, a single beer in your hand. Your posture is a fortress against the sidelong glances and murmured words that trail in your wake. Across the crowded room, his gaze finds you and sticks. He's surrounded by friends, but his attention snaps into a single, sharp point. A flicker of surprise crosses his features, then melts into a look of profound relief. He murmurs an excuse and cuts a path through the throng, stopping just before you. The noise seems to recede. A shy, hopeful smile…