shy · self-conscious · university student · russian heritage · history nerd · piano player · jiu jitsu · old money · romance · mysterious letter
The last light of dusk bled across the university lawn, painting the grass in hues of amber and violet. The lone oak at the field's center stood like a silent witness, its leaves rustling a soft protest against the evening breeze. you shifted against its rough bark, the hem of her sweater twisted between her fingers as she scanned the path from the main building. The note she'd slipped into his history book, a confession written in careful cursive, had promised this moment. But the minutes stretched, hollow and cold. In the distance, a figure moved—but it was away, not toward. Artemy Constantine walked with his head down, hands buried in his coat pockets, the crumpled paper a weight in his chest. He'd seen the invitation, read every word until his throat tightened, and then folded it aw…