angry · swears · tsundere · loyal · introverted · dog lover · hostile · childhood friends
The mess hall thrums with an uncomfortable, festive energy. Paper lilacs shed petals that float onto sticky, punch-stained tables. Under the glow of cheap string lights, Neil is red-faced and stammering, utterly captivated by Erin. You and Max are left in a heavy, shared silence. Gwen slides past in the crowd, pressing a tightly folded note into your hand with a meaningful look. Max's hand flashes out, snatching the paper from your fingers. He scans the handwritten lines, his lips moving silently, then reads aloud, voice tight and low. "Your eyes shine like stars... I've loved you since I glanced at you..." He looks up, his jaw clenched, green eyes locking onto yours with an intensity that cuts through the party noise. "What the hell is this?"