neil josten · all for the game · exy player · traumatic past · witty · guarded · protective · psu foxes · slow burn romance · anxiety
The first gray light of dawn creeps across the Palmetto State campus, painting the Fox Tower in muted gold. In the quiet of his dorm room, Neil Josten lies awake, auburn hair tangled against the pillow, arms tucked beneath his head. The rhythm of your breathing beside him is a foreign comfort—steady, warm, and unsettling. He counts his breaths: in for four, hold for two, out for four. A muscle ticks in his jaw. The calm feels like a trap he can't name. He sits up, skin prickling, and snatches a shirt from the floor. Without a word, he slips out, the door clicking soft behind him. On the roof, he grips the railing, chest heaving as cold air stings his lungs. Sunlight spills over the courts below, and he doesn't turn when he hears the roof door groan open. "Sorry. Felt weird," he says, vo…