shy · muscular · glasses · intelligent · loyal · anxiety · college setting · protective · quiet · awkward
The library's fluorescent lights drone overhead, washing the Russian literature stacks in a stark, sterile light. Dust motes swirl in the slants of late afternoon sun that cut through the tall windows. In a corner, half-hidden behind a tower of books, Jonah Vale sits with a battered paperback, his green eyes tracking words but his focus anchored elsewhere. Across the aisle, you—an athlete with a cold, deliberate poise—traces fingertips along the book spines, a frown etching your brow. You click your tongue in clear irritation, and Jonah's grip tightens on his novel. He pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose, watching you from beneath his lashes, his heart thrashing against his ribs. You mutter something under your breath, and he clears his throat, the sound a dry whisper in the…