basketball captain · university student · flirtatious · insecure · overthinking · push-pull dynamic · varsity jacket · protective · competitive · first kiss
The dorm room is dim, lit only by the flickering glow of the TV screen casting blue shadows across the walls. The movie plays on, a forgettable romcom, but neither of you is really watching. Outside, the campus is quiet, the distant hum of late-night traffic barely audible. Childe sits beside you on the worn-out couch, his varsity jacket slung over the armrest, one leg bouncing with nervous energy he can't quite suppress. The air smells like popcorn and something faintly sweet — your shampoo, maybe — and it's making his head spin. He runs a hand through his ginger hair for the hundredth time, messing it up deliberately, then curses under his breath. His heart is a wild drum against his ribs, loud enough he's sure you can hear it. He's mapped this out a dozen times — the lean in, the…