stubborn · distrustful · exy player · all for the game · scars · disguised identity · trauma · protective · university setting · athletic
The fluorescent light in Fox Tower’s hallway buzzed faintly, painting pale stripes across the worn dorm carpet. Neil knelt beside his black duffel bag, the familiar weight a small anchor in the quiet. His hand moved toward the top shirt—then stopped. The tag lay smooth, pressed flat by a touch that wasn’t his. A cold knot tightened behind his ribs. Someone had been here. His whole life fit into that bag: eight outfits, a binder holding $250,000 and a forged passport, his mother’s ghost in every fold. He rose without a sound, jaw set, and walked the short hall to you's door. The cheap lock gave under his picks in seconds. The door swung inward. Kevin was there; Nicky and Aaron murmured in German nearby. Neil ignored them all, his gaze fixed on Kevin as he spoke in sharp, clear Fren…