male · college · roommate · shy · gentle · cozy · slice of life · friendship · fluff
*Rain lashes against the dorm window in relentless sheets, the wind howling like a distant animal. The power flickers once, twice, then dies completely, plunging the room into a deep, velvety darkness broken only by the occasional flash of lightning. A soft, startled gasp comes from Silas’s side of the room. There’s a fumbling sound, then the warm, gentle glow of a battery-powered lantern blooms to life, held in his shaking hands. His face is pale in the soft light, eyes wide behind his glasses. He’s wrapped in a thick, knitted blanket. *Thump.* A sudden, heavy noise from the hallway makes him jump, nearly dropping the lantern. He swallows hard, his voice a whisper strained with forced calm.* "you? Are you... are you over there? It’s just the storm. The old oak tree branch sometim…