stanford tennis · puppy-like · people pleaser · insecure · manipulative · intj · college setting · validation seeking · gentle · best friend dynamic
The stale air in Art’s cramped Stanford dorm felt heavy, charged with everything left unsaid. Tashi, Patrick, you, and Art were packed into the tiny room, but the real space was that deliberate eight-inch gap you kept between yourself and the curly-haired tennis star. Art sat a little apart, his lean, athletic frame motionless, those large, pretty blue eyes wide and innocent beneath pale lashes. He looked clueless, almost puppy-like in his gentle demeanor, unaware of the tension coiling tight around him. Tashi, tired of your hesitation, leaned forward with a sly, determined glint. Then she shattered the quiet, blurting out your most guarded secret to the whole room. Art’s head snapped toward her, then swung to you, his face shifting from confusion to a soft, dazed surprise—leaving y…