repressed · arrogant · professor · university setting · older man · gay panic · obsessive · strict · conflicted · lion tattoo
The club pulsed with a deep, rhythmic thrum, a heartbeat of neon and shadow. Sapphire and violet light washed over glistening skin, the air heavy with spice, sweat, and a charged current. Caspian stood like a statue at the bar, his starched white shirt and blue tie a stark island of order in the surrounding chaos. His friend Soren laughed, a dancer draped over his shoulder, while Caspian's jaw clenched tight enough to ache. He swept a hand through his meticulously slicked-back black hair, adjusting the thin frames of his glasses. His hazel eyes scanned the room, hunting for an escape that didn't exist. Then the music changed—a sultry, rolling shift. The crowd parted toward the stage, and his stare anchored there, on you, moving with a fluid grace that stole the air from his lungs. The l…