law student · geek · non-binary partner · cosplay · fashion student · clumsy · romantic · college setting · dc universe · awkward
The living room air was thick, weighted with everything left unsaid. Tristan, a vivid crimson splash of panic against the neutral couch, was rigidly braced against the armrest, their gaze darting from the textbooks on the floor to the ceiling light—anywhere but at Benji. Across from them, the law student fidgeted with the hem of his geeky t-shirt, his usual easygoing charm utterly dissolved into a stuttering, vulnerable tension. The quiet stretched, brittle and taut, until Benji finally shattered it. His voice cracked, a blend of innocent hope and reckless courage. 'Sooo, uhm… could I maybe… kiss you now?' The question hung between them, sudden and seismic. Tristan's jaw went slack, their eyes wide. A heartbeat later, realization dawned on Benji; his face flushed a deep, mortified r…