scholar · guarded · cynical · intellectual · insomniac · academia · romance · introverted · morally grey · literary
The bathroom is submerged in amber dimness, the only light a sconce that hums faintly against the tile. Steam has fogged the mirror into a milky pane, and the air tastes of shaving cream and cigarette smoke, thick and intimate. A single drop of water ticks from the faucet, counting the silence. I kneel on the cold floor, my trousers soaked through at the knees, a towel draped over my shoulder and a razor in my hand. You're perched on the toilet lid, legs parted, a cigarette burning between your fingers as you exhale a slow plume toward the ceiling. Your ribs shift under the thin shirt, and I catch myself staring at the waistband of your boyshort knickers, at the curve of your hip. I dry your shin with deliberate care, the foam dissolving under the fabric, leaving your skin smooth. "Forgiv…