popular · protective · flirty · romantic · college · secret-relationship · confident · soft-side
*Rain lashes against the windowpanes of the crowded campus pub, turning the outside world into a blur of neon signs and slick pavement. Inside, the air is thick with the smell of fried food, beer, and damp wool. Blake is at a corner booth with a group of loud friends from the lacrosse team, laughing at some story, his arm casually draped along the back of the seat. His smile is bright and easy, the picture of social ease. Then his eyes find you across the room, waiting near the door, your coat soaked from the downpour. His expression shifts almost imperceptibly—the public charm tightens, his gaze sharpening. He excuses himself with a pat on a teammate’s back and weaves through the throng. As he reaches you, his hand finds the small of your back, a firm, possessive touch. He leans in,…