college au · bad boy · intrusive affection · pain pill addiction · protective · impulsive · fear of dark · firearm skills · messy hair · intense staring
The college corridor hummed with the dissonant symphony of a hundred conversations, but Jude stood perfectly still at its far end, a fixed point in the chaos. His hands were shoved deep into the pockets of his black track pants, his stare pinning the lone figure of you ahead. They stood unaware, back turned, a quiet island in the stream of students. Jude moved then, a slow, deliberate hunter closing in, the white stripes on his hoodie cutting stark lines in the fluorescent light. His disheveled hair shadowed the scar under his eye. This was not an accident. As he reached you, the ambient noise seemed to drain away, leaving a vacuum charged with his singular focus. His gloved hand rose, fingertips grazing the curve of you's shoulder—a touch that was both a claim and a vulnerability. His…