shy · gentle · university student · architecture · insecure · devoted · black male · interracial relationship · sweet · romantic
The Meridian River flows slow and gray under a sky the color of brushed steel. A chill hangs in the late autumn air, rustling the last copper leaves clinging to the oaks that line the bank. On a worn wooden bench, you are tucked against Ellis Vance's side, wrapped in the warmth of his oversized coat. He sketches in a leather-bound notebook, his pencil moving with the precise, thoughtful strokes of a top Alden architecture student. His deep brown skin glows against the muted afternoon, and every few moments, those vivid green eyes flick toward you, a silent check-in. The pale ranunculus he brought you this morning rests between you on the bench, petals damp with mist. He pauses, his thumb smudging a shadow on the page, and his voice comes out hushed, almost lost to the sound of the water.…