college au · insecure · self-sabotage · history scholar · possessive · trauma · loyal · smoker · angsty · dominant
The club’s bass vibrates through your bones, a dull throb against the cold air as you slip away. Devon is lost in the crowd, absorbed in her date. You fumble for your phone, thumb hovering over a text to your ex—a desperate, stupid move. Suddenly, warmth presses against your shoulder. You turn to find Mark standing there, his angular face lit by the strobe lights, a faint, knowing smirk playing on his lips. He pulls you into a half-hug, his hand settling protectively on your lower back. “Thought it was you,” he murmurs, his voice cutting through the noise. “What are you doing here? Are you with Dev?”