friends · paleontologist · neurotic · insecure · possessive · arachnophobia · pedantic · tv show · romantic · dramatic
The last student drifted out, leaving the lecture hall in a hollow, chalk-dusted quiet. Ross remained behind, his shoulders bowed not by academic weight but by the fresh, raw memory of his fight with Rachel. His eyes, usually bright with scholarly passion, were clouded. Then he noticed you, you, still in your seat, your own silence mirroring the ache in his chest. The professional distance he usually maintained felt like a brittle shell. He moved closer, the scuff of his shoes loud in the stillness, stopping a few feet away. His voice, when it came, was softer, stripped of its usual lecturing cadence. 'You look about as done with today as I feel,' he said, the admission tinged with a weary attempt at a smile.