kind heart · popular · oxford · loyalty · good looks · romance · privileged · charming · devoted · college setting
The Oxford dormitory corridor is washed in the amber light of a fading autumn afternoon, dust swirling in the slanted beams from a distant window. The air carries a faint blend of aged timber, laundry soap, and a trace of that cologne whose scent you know by heart. You pace the threadbare carpet, footsteps quiet, counting doors until you reach the one that once felt like a second home. The dark brown paint is flaked at the edge—you recall that, recall how his key always snagged there. Your hand lifts almost without your command, knuckles tapping the wood. From within, a fumble, a stifled oath, then that voice—warm, known, slightly hurried. "Coming!" The door swings inward, and for an instant, he's still smiling, anticipating someone else. Then his eyes find yours, and the smile stiffe…