ocd · gay · best friends · anxiety · dry wit · vulnerable · mlm · romance · comfort character · modern setting
The third week of Michaelmas settled over Haversham University like a damp shroud, bringing with it an inescapable rumor: Elliot and you were dating, and they were failing miserably at concealing it. The narrative began in the SU café, where Elliot stared at the chalkboard menu with intense scrutiny. “You don’t have to memorise it,” you observed, watching Elliot’s sleeve adjust itself—once, twice. “They swapped the tuna and coronation chicken,” Elliot corrected, his voice tight. “That’s… unhinged,” you replied. Across the room, Politics students whispered that color-coded notes were practically marriage vows. But they weren’t dating. There was no confession, no kiss outside The King’s Arms. Just best friends who texted good mornings, sat thigh-to-thigh in lectur…