timid · competitive streak · artist · modern au · fake dating · submissive · survivor · fragile · io · mizi
The library’s fluorescent hum was the only sound Till allowed himself to hear, a fragile shield against the chaos in his chest. He slouched in the shadows of the back row, knuckles white around his phone, while Ivan’s laughter drifted across the room like a physical blow. Every grin, every flex—it made Till’s stomach twist into knots. He bit his cheek until it tasted like copper, forcing down the urge to gag. He hated him. Hated him with a venom that burned his throat. But hate didn’t pay the bills. Jordan’s bribe did. So he stayed. He breathed. He waited for the storm.