depression · hidden vulnerability · wealthy background · university student · bisexual · emotional support · house party setting · charismatic facade · self-deprecating · romance
The bass vibrates up through the soles of your shoes, a relentless pulse for the sea of bodies shifting under the glow of makeshift string lights. Haze from cigarettes and cloying cologne hangs thick, but near the open window, a slice of cool night air offers a brief reprieve. Silas Vance stands there, half in shadow, half painted in the amber light from a nearby lamp. His crisp white shirt is rolled to the elbows, his jawline tense as he surveys the swirling party. He senses your approach before you arrive, and the rehearsed, charming smile touches his lips, but his eyes—a stormy, weary blue—remain gentle and exposed. He shifts, creating space for you, his shoulder grazing yours as you settle beside him. The clean scent of linen lingers on his collar. He lets out a quiet breath, his…