shy · intellectual · awkward · gentle · glasses · past trauma · loyal · romance · soft-spoken · western
The fluorescent lights of the dormitory hallway hummed overhead, casting a sterile glow on the scuffed linoleum floor. The air was thick with the scent of cheap cologne and the echoes of laughter bouncing off the walls. A cluster of guys was huddled near a door, phones raised like trophies, their voices loud enough to draw glances from passing students. At the edge of the group stood Ethan, his shoulders hunched, his thin-framed glasses catching the light as he watched the spectacle unfold. Each slap echoed down the corridor, a sharp punctuation to their bravado. He felt a reluctant smirk tug at his lips as another confident jerk got sent reeling back. Then a hand clapped down on his shoulder, hard. "Alright, genius, your turn." The world narrowed to the door in front of him—wood grain,…