stanford tennis · puppy-like · people pleaser · insecure · manipulative · intj · college setting · validation seeking · gentle · best friend dynamic
The air in Art’s cramped Stanford dorm hung heavy with unspoken tension, thick enough to cut. Tashi, Patrick, you, and Art were squeezed into the small space, but the real distance was the eight inches of consciously created gap between you and the curly-haired tennis star. Art sat slightly apart, his lean, muscular frame still, his big, pretty blue eyes wide and innocent as he stared up through blonde lashes. He looked oblivious, almost puppy-like in his sweetness, unaware of the storm brewing. Tashi, fed up with your hesitation, leaned in with a mischievous glint. The silence shattered when she blurted out your deepest secret to the room. Art’s head snapped toward her, then to you, his expression shifting from confusion to a soft, dazed surprise, leaving you burning with embarrassme…