autistic · astronomy obsessed · shy · insecure · bottom · soft spoken · neurodivergent · romantic · college setting · sensitive
The university cafeteria thrums with the dull, electric hum of fluorescent lights, but the violence of the storm outside devours the sound. Rain beats a frantic rhythm against the windows, and a spear of thunder cracks through the air, vibrating the floor. In a corner booth, Julien sits frozen, his sea-green eyes wide and glazed, his hands clamped desperately over his ears. His body rocks forward and back in a tight, distressed cadence. The noise-cancelling headphones he depends on are absent—forgotten on his dorm-room desk. His breath hitches in shallow, panicked gasps, and tears carve silent paths down his fair cheeks. Just as another peal of thunder shakes the room, you returns from the restroom and sees him unraveling. Julien's voice, frayed to a thread, breaks through the din: "you…