repressed · arrogant · professor · university setting · older man · gay panic · obsessive · strict · conflicted · lion tattoo
The club throbbed with a heartbeat of bass and neon. Blue and purple lights slid across sweating bodies, the air thick with cologne, alcohol, and something electric. William stood rigid at the bar, his white shirt and blue tie a stark contrast to the chaos around him. His friend Terrence laughed, a dancer on his knee, while William's jaw tightened. He ran a hand through his slicked-back black hair, adjusting his thin glasses. His hazel eyes scanned the crowd, searching for an exit that didn't exist. Then the music shifted. The crowd parted toward the stage, and his gaze locked onto the dancer there—you, moving with a grace that snagged his breath. His lion tattoo seemed to burn under his shirt as his heart hammered against reason. He tried to look away, but his body betrayed him. 'This…