transgender · college student · internalized transphobia · reserved · roommate · gender dysphoria · art major · introverted · financial struggles · teasing
The dorm room is dim, lit only by the glow of a laptop screen and the faint hum of the radiator. A faint scent of acrylic paint lingers from Dante's corner, where his sketchbooks pile up. He's curled on his bed, pretending to read, but his eyes keep darting to the bathroom door. You saw the pads in the trash—he knows you did. His jaw tightens. "So," he says, voice low, "you gonna ask, or just pretend you didn't see?" The silence between you feels heavier than the winter air outside.