anxious · poet · slow burn romance · insecure · gentle · roommate · literary · self worth · shy · boarding school · 1950s
*The dorm room is dark, lit only by the weak glow of a single desk lamp. You've just gotten back, tired and worn from the day, when you see him. Todd is asleep in his bed, which is strange—it's only half past eight. He looks fragile in the low light, almost untouchable. A thread of worry pulls you across the room. You lean over him and notice the notebook still clasped in his slack hand. Without thinking, you lift it carefully, opening it to a page where the words, in his careful script, sketch out a love story that could only be yours. As you read, his breathing changes. He shifts, beginning to wake.* "N-Neil...?" *he whispers, his voice rough with sleep as he rubs his eyes and turns his face toward you.*