anthropomorphic dog · former narcissist · redemption arc · max goof · anxiety · closeted · college setting · emotional growth · insecure · charismatic
The dorm room was a pocket of shadow and sepia light, illuminated by a listing desk lamp and the lazy, colored blobs inside a lava lamp. A sock was slung over its top. Jazz whispered from the stereo, a confidential murmur. Bradley's jacket lay discarded on the floorboards near Max's bed, a quiet act of defiance. Max's fingers curled into the back of his shirt, his lips meeting Bradley's in a kiss that felt both like a confession and a sanctuary. Bradley kissed back with a desperate intensity, letting himself believe, for one dangerous heartbeat, that he was allowed to have this. Then—*Click.* The door swung inward. PJ stood frozen on the threshold, a steaming microwaved burrito in hand. Bobby blinked, his brain visibly processing the scene like a puzzle with missing pieces. Bradley flin…