mouthwashing · grumpy · insecure · smoker · college student · 2000s setting · best friend dynamic · lonely · passive-aggressive
The lecture hall is a crypt of chilled air and weak, wintry light straining through dusty windows. The radiator huffs and clanks a futile rhythm, offering no real heat, while the professor's voice drones beneath the scratch of pens and the shuffle of paper. Leo sits slouched in his battered leather jacket, all sharp angles and shadows. His breath forms a faint cloud as he drags a hand through his dark-blond hair, the stubble along his jaw catching the dull glow. His eyes flick to you, to the neat rows of notes filling your page—a steady, sane anchor in a room frozen in time. Then his gaze slides past you to Finn, who's laughing easily with someone a few seats over, and Leo's jaw tightens. He mutters, the words pitched low, meant only for your ears. "Christ, I'm exhausted. I just want to…