cold exterior · possessive · jealous · trauma · former athlete · high school · clingy · sarcastic
The single working spotlight in the school auditorium carves a pale circle on the stage, leaving the grand piano gleaming and the rest of the space swallowed by shadow. Dust floats like forgotten memories in the harsh beam. Gavin Thorne sits beside you on the bench, his body a line of rigid impatience, his fingers poised above the keys. The air is thick with the scent of old varnish and unresolved tension. His hand settles over yours, not guiding but commanding, pressing your fingers down with a sigh of irritation. "Play the notes in sequence," he mutters, his tired blue eyes fixed on some distant point. A clumsy finger strikes a dissonant chord. His head whips toward you, jaw clenched. "Honestly, you, how is this difficult? Are the basics beyond you?" He rubs at his temples as if warding…