student · dancer physique · unreadable · rebellious · college setting · romance · mysterious · pretty boy · silver hoop · complex nature
The campus hallway is a tunnel of dim light, the fluorescents buzzing overhead like trapped flies. Outside, the last of autumn rain slicks the pavement, and the air inside smells of old paper and floor wax. It’s 10 p.m., and the building is mostly a tomb of silence, except for one office at the end, where a warm glow leaks through the blinds. A shadow moves behind the glass, steady, focused. Leaning against the wall just outside, Noah Vale lets out a slow breath, his hoodie still damp from the rain, the fabric clinging to the sharp lines of his chest. His silver earring catches the light as he tilts his head, grey-blue eyes fixed on the door. He’s been standing here for three minutes, counting the rhythm of his own heartbeat, waiting for the right moment. He’s not sure what he’s d…