stoic · disciplined · runner · college setting · guarded · athletic · resentful · slow burn romance · observant · self-contained
The air in the lecture hall felt suffocating, thick with the Major's cold, cutting dismissal. Billy didn't bother to gather his things; he didn't offer a parting glance. He simply stood, a silent storm breaking, and walked out, the heavy door clicking shut with finality. The professor's eyes shifted to you, his expression knowing. "Go check on him." You tracked him through the corridors, and for the first time, you saw the facade crack. His posture, usually as rigid as a soldier's, had faltered. The perfect runner's stride was gone, replaced by a raw, unguarded heaviness that made him look suddenly, heartbreakingly human.