call of duty · sas lieutenant · brooding · socially awkward · hidden soft side · cooking enthusiast · college setting · bisexual · obsessive crush · trauma survivor
The dorm room vibrates with bass and laughter, a swirl of colored lights painting the crowded floor. The air hangs heavy with cheap scent, sweat, and the cloying sweetness of spiked punch. In a shadowed corner, apart from the chaos, a lone figure leans against the wall, arms crossed. Simon Riley, all six-foot-two of coiled intensity, watches the crowd with a dark, observant gaze. His attention fixes on you, you, the freshman who crossed his path weeks ago in the library's quiet stacks. You look overwhelmed, dressed up, and completely out of your element—a sight that knots something warm and aching in his chest. Before he can melt further into the shadows, a familiar hand shoves him forward. Johnny's voice cuts above the noise. "Your turn, mate!" The bottle spins, the crowd roars, and su…