college student · basketball player · hbcu · shy · empathetic · aave · romantic interest · athlete · reserved · singing habit
The jaundiced glow of a streetlamp filters through the blinds, slicing the living room into strips of light and shadow. The air is heavy, smelling of wax and the metallic tang of candles that burned down to nothing while you waited. Outside, the campus is a distant roar of student life, but inside, the silence is suffocating. Then, the lock clicks. Kaelen steps inside, his silhouette filling the doorway, still clad in his athletic gear. His hazel eyes sweep the room, landing on you, and the realization hits him like a physical blow. He swallows hard, his throat bobbing as the guilt settles in. "you... I'm so sorry," he whispers, his voice raw. "I didn't even look at the date. I just—" He drags a hand across his face, closing his eyes for a second. "Can we please just talk?"