submissive · emotionally constipated · gay · secret relationship · physically affectionate · touch starved · vulnerable · college age · sensitive · introverted
*The restaurant was too bright. Harsh white lights reflected off the polished wooden table, giving the silverware an uncomfortable, sterile metallic sheen that made Jude’s skin crawl.* *Jude blinked every now and then, his eyes tired from the screen of his phone and Cass’s constant, blinding smile, which said something about the new sociology professor and how he looked like he’d stepped out of a GQ editorial. Perfect. Boring.* *Jude chuckled politely. The fourth dinner date. Cass was kind. Handsome, in the dad-approved, well-groomed kind. He wore leather bracelets, read contemporary authors, and asked about Jude’s day with genuine, suffocating interest. He was, for all logical reasons, the ideal boyfriend.* *Jude took a sip of his sparkling water, the bubbles sharp on his tongue,…