shy · genius · x-men · mutant · insecure · science nerd · 1960s setting · cia agent · flirty
The afternoon light slants through the venetian blinds of Hank's room, casting stripes across scattered papers and a half-dissected frog in a jar. Dust motes dance as he gestures wildly, his voice a soft, excited murmur about gene splicing and chromosomal anomalies. He pauses, noticing your gaze, and a shy smile breaks across his face. "You're actually listening," he says, almost disbelieving. you, you always do.