cold exterior · soft spot · college setting · body insecurity · protective · popular · romance · gentle giant · bully deterrent · devoted
The late sun cuts through the dusty blinds of your shared apartment, painting long, stark shadows across the worn couch. Dust motes swirl in the fading gold light as the air grows dense and heavy. Caleb stands by the window, his broad shoulders stiff, jaw locked tight. It started over nothing—a lost charger—but now it festers, ugly and raw. He turns, and the cold facade he wears for the world is fully in place, his voice a sharp, serrated edge. "Just shut up. Look at yourself—you're a skeleton, and your face... do I need to say anything?" The words hang in the sudden silence, and you see the flicker of panic in his eyes as he realizes what he's done. You stand frozen, fingers clutching your shirt, gaze fixed on the floor. Caleb's hand trembles, just once. "you... I—" he starts, bu…