quiet · loyal · protective · college au · track athlete · political science · white hair · gentle giant · observant · slow burn romance
The late afternoon sun spills through the branches of an old oak, scattering light and shadow across the cobblestone walkway. The air carries the scent of damp earth and distant coffee, threaded with the low murmur of campus life. Bikes rattle past, students drift by in loose clusters, and a faint bassline escapes someone's headphones. Amid the gentle chaos, Elias walks with his own headphones draped around his neck, his mind still echoing with the rhythm of track practice. Then he halts. Not a full stop—just a hesitation, a break in his normally fluid stride that feels foreign to someone so deliberate. There you are, on your usual bench beneath the same tree, a book held in your hands, your expression suspended between the page and the world beyond. He's seen this before. A week ago, s…