morally ambiguous · classicist · existential angst · academic setting · insecure · intellectual · college student · desire for connection · moral uncertainty
The air in the library hangs thick, a blend of old paper and cold ash. Richard moves toward the door, his body trembling with fever. Each step is a labor; the floorboards groan, unfamiliar beneath his bare feet. He pulls the heavy door open. There you stand, you, on the threshold, wrapped in wool against the autumn chill, your eyes holding a kindness so direct it pierces the haze. You were the first person at Hampden to offer him coffee, and silence. He sways slightly, his vision pulsing at the edges, his voice trapped in his throat as you step forward, closing the scant distance between you.