#its finally here

The night was especially still tonight, the darkness closing in tighter than usual under a cloudless sky. The only light came from a couple of flickering lanterns outside a dim Juke Joint, guiding your path as you walked.

On the porch of the joint, two old-timey musicians sat pouring their hearts into the music they created, without a care in the world, frozen in time, they could forget the industrialisation of the world around them. One man played a harmonica, his weathered hands cradling it with care. The soulful, fuzzy notes wrapped around you, a comforting urge to keep moving forward despite the shadows surrounding you.

Your feet seemed to carry you effortlessly through the opening of the wood, drawing deeper in as you looked behind you one last time, swaying with each step as the music faded into the distance. Heading to the only home you knew without a destination - your own company.

A few twigs crunched beneath your feet as you walked, and the odd branch creeping up on you, the left of you the bayou laid still, untouched - and to your right, the final twinkle of streetlights, was the edge of town, just before they turned off completely. Now, you’d never seen anyone else cross this path; by this point you’d think you owned it simply because you seemed the only one daring or reckless enough to walk it on your own- and you had heard both from just about anyone.

But this time was different.

All kinds of things were catching your eyes, something not ordinary. Snakes, alligators, even the nearest flock of herons that waded over the water, standing as tall as a small child. But that wasn’t it, it wasn’t innocence that followed you, and there was enough life and nature around you to tell you that, whatever it was, it wasn’t living.

Your mind stopped wandering at rustling that came from a bush behind you and you turned on your heel, the soil beneath you shifting with a sigh, and the rustling stopped. You halted, squinting your eyes at all around you, from the floor to the tops of the trees - nothing. 

A pair of wings fluttered out before you could blink, hurtling toward you in one swift motion and you backed up into a tree beside you, gasping. You winced at the roughness, rubbing at the start of what would soon be a bruise. Taking a deep breath, you straightened yourself and kept on moving, cursing yourself for even being startled in the first place. It was nothing but a little house finch - your grandfathers old illustration books could have told you that, and you took your life studying this place, your home, this wasn’t anything to be worried about. 

However your gut told a different story. You slowed, taking note of a blossom tree, the shadows of purple flowers,  you traced the lines of the stems, putting your focus on that instead of-

“Shit-“ A voice rang out from the darkness ahead of you, out of sight, and you brushed the leaves out of your hand, swatting the branch away, crouching a little beside them. A figure stumbled out from the bushes, a man, dusting off his shoulders and catching his fall he stood up straight on the side of the path. He looked around for a moment mumbling something to himself, wiping something from around his mouth - you couldn’t quite make it out but whatever is was was dark, thick.

The breeze picked up and rustled the whole wood, and your eyes trailed him, not moving for a second. He was somewhat tall, with a dark head of hair - well kept and presentably dressed for this time of night. A pair of lined trousers and a white shirt, suspenders keeping his back straight is about what you could make out. A stranger, no doubt, but the voice.. the voice you recognised. His head snapped up and your stomach turned, but you couldn’t quite put your finger on where you’d heard it before.

The heat was unbearable. 

And that was saying something for someone who grew up around here. Your arms felt like they were about to give out from the weight of the grocery bags, and you could swear the soles of your feet were nearly burned away in those flimsy old shoes. The street buzzed with life, cars and people rushing in every direction, while music spilled out from corners on nearly every block, making your head spin. You could feel your body start to sag a bit under the strain, so you set one of the bags down on the ground. With all this running around and the pressure to get home quickly, you leaned against the wall to steady yourself.

The only thing that pulled you from your daze was an arm wrapping around you, gripping your waist like a cool washcloth— supporting you. You looked up to meet the gaze of one of the local shop owners. You scrunched your face, trying to see him more clearly, only to focus on his warm and friendly smile. 

“Hey, I had to catch you  before you fell there, darlin'. Is everything okay?”  He let out a nervous chuckle as he propped you up against the wall, gently taking the bag from your other hand and setting it down next to the first. Your ears were ringing, and dizziness washed over you,. You hadn’t realised how hard you’d been pushing yourself until it became almost impossible to move. His hand cupped your cheek, and he looked deeply into your eyes, as if he’d have been searching for signs of life. 

He nodded  to himself and looked up and down the street before standing upright.” How ’bout we go a little ways away down this street? I’ve got a store down there; I own it.”  Pointing in the direction you were already headed, he clicked his fingers at a worker loading up a truck and waved them over to pick up your bags. Gently grabbing your hands, he placed them around his neck. 

Bo paused for a moment, a smile spreading across his face as he watched you ready yourself. You twirled onto your side, and he slipped his arm back around your waist, guiding you a few steps and into the shop. He encouraged you the way there, playfully teasing you about being out in the heat and pushing yourself too hard. As you made your way into the store, he leaned you against the counter for support. Before you could voice any objections, his hands found the backs of your thighs, lifting you onto the counter with effortless ease and drawing his hands away.

 You settled back with a huff, grateful for the brief respite. And as you took in the store, he had disappeared, returning just as fast with a glass of water in hand.

“Something to take the edge off, huh?” He offered, his voice a soothing balm, as he extended his hand toward you. You weakly accepted it, your fingers enveloping the glass. “Thank you,” you croaked out, your voice hoarse like gravel. He looked astounded, his eyes widening as he shuffled away from where he stood, placing his hands at his sides.  

“Agh, she speaks; how are you feeling, Sweetpea?” The playful smirk on his face lingered as he watched your lips gently graze the rim of the glass. Your eyes fluttered closed in a moment of solace, and you raised your thumb in a silent saying of “okay,” feeling the chill of the cold water hit your mouth.

He slanted  his side against the counter, his hips swaying slightly as he observed you, watching how your brows knitted together in concentration as you drank, and you could feel his eyes on you.

At that moment, a sense of longing washed over him, his eye lingering on you in a way he hadn’t meant to. He found himself thinking all those things he shouldn’t—how your lips curved into that bright smile, the static shock as your fingers brushed against his, and how your skirt senselessly bunched around your knees. His breath caught in his throat, placing his empty hand on the counter beside you, enclosing you at a distance.

You lazily pulled your hand back and shifted in your seat, meeting his longing look. You noticed the sweat beading on his hairline, trickling down his cheek just etching at his lip and how his mouth parted as he licked his lips, almost panting from the outside , before setting the glass down. Tilting your head slightly, you tried to read the familiar face, hoping by some miracle you'd remember an answer, a name, anything - but you'd only seen him a couple of times, watching lowly from the street. And before you could ask,

 “It’s Bo, Bo Chow.” He paused for a moment, breathless. “But most folks around here just stick with Bo.” The smile he offered was like a daydream, a shared one, as he nodded his head, clasping his hands together.

It was him. 

You drew a breath sharply. The brush from the leaves threatening to whip you in the face with the wind as you remained at eye-level with it but your crouched feet failed you. What felt like a distant memory was only just a few weeks ago, and it flooded back fast, the soles of your feet still burned and they gave way, but the ground beneath you shifted, you pulled at the earth and when the roots from broke, you fell backward, leaving a snap at your wake. You gasped as the hard mud hit your back, bunching your hand to make a fist to push at it.

Footsteps approached hurriedly and a presence peered from over you, familiar hands reached out for you, leaving no distance in sight, the moonlight lit up part of his face giving all your questions the truth you needed.

“Bo..” You wheezed out loud, grabbing at his arm as he towed you forward, letting you sit up. You felt this before, his touch, but now there was a grip that felt unnatural, it burned with his touch, your limb could have practically gone limp, and yet he barely moved a muscle.

“Woah there, careful baby.” You stood up and he stepped back a bit giving you some space, laughing as you both realised one another, you sighed of relief of seeing his face, something so unlikely here, in the dead of night.

Now it threw you off no doubt, but it was Bo, the shopkeeper down the street who took his own time to help you, the one you looked out for every day, a couple run ins without an acquaintance could tell you he was a gentleman, and many knew that, even you.The store had been shut down for while and he practically had wiped off the face of the Earth. After the incident you heard about in the papers about the Juke Joint everyone kept their heads down, keeping to themselves, apart from those whispers. Like the ones you’d heard since you were young, but now they were prime, the riddle on everyones tongue like a sermon, like some part the new gospel.

However, after that one day, you couldn’t help but think of him, the way he stopped to help you, to pull you close, the way he eyed the structure of your body like it was the holy grail itself. Leaving you to question, what would have happened if you’d have stayed?  Maybe you hit your head that day, or perhaps it was the heat messing with you, but that didn’t change the heat you felt inside of you every time you thought about it, an aching, an uncontrolled urge with the way he rested against you, his hand near creeping up toward your thigh. And the way he looked at you now, breaking the silence, didn’t help your distress, 

“I dropped my lantern around here some place, give me a second sweetheart.”

He snickered, kicking the dirt around his feet to find the lamp,  and you stop there rocking on your heel unit he found it, picking it up and bringing it to the both of you. His eyes lulled at you, checking in as he pulled a matchbox from his pocket, reaching inside for one of them. He slid the box open and flicked one of the matches into his mouth, pausing to close the compartment. You could still make out the shading of his face, watching the way he moved, and the match in his mouth as he swiped it with his tongue, wrapping it tightly around so it wouldn’t fall. His gaze remained on you in the stillness, and as the tip guided along the top of his tongue, his eyes flashed starved with want. 

It created a glow, lighting the woods and your faces up orange, he crouched to pick up the lantern beside his feet, sealing the glow inside its glass case. 

“You could’a frightened me there.” You laughed off, trying to give some kind of lightness to what had just happened, spurring on conversation.

He held it close in his hands, enough to keep track of you and take a look around for any others, if there even was. “I didn’t mean to scare you darlin, probably shouldn’t have been wandering out here this late as it is myself, but thought I’d take a walk, it’s been one hell of a day.” You quirked an eyebrow now being able to focus on his face, eyes drawing to the corner of his dimples. His smile didn’t falter once, staying at the flat of his mouth, only gracing his face lightly, and beyond his surprise he seemed please. Pleased to see you. 

“Yeah I could have guessed.” You wiped your fingers at the corner of your mouth, gesturing to his own. He looked pretty beat up, just without the bruises, or without injury of any kind, but the thick strands of blood that pooled from his mouth proved otherwise.

His face contorted into some sort of shock at your look and he pinched at the drying substance, wiping it into his pants without as much as a look. The look he gave went blank for a moment, like he wanted to say something but refrained, like he was fighting something on the inside. 

“So why’re you out here this late?” He took a little step forward, stepping downward from the small, raised embankment he was on before, now at almost level with you, he hung the lantern in-between you both. You didn’t move, rather stilled in your step as he wandered over to you, his eyes squinting a little. “I usually come out here, on my own, it’s rare you see anyone down here past sundown.” You wondered why, why out here, and now. Everything seemed to go silent, enough to hear a pin drop, only that light breeze shaking up your skirts, and tousled his hair just enough to shag in his face, it was calm, gentle even, just like before - but Bo, he seemed out of place, shifting back and forth where he stood, yet confident still. More eager than before.

Like he was trying to make some sort of move. 

You continued to ramble and he smirked, “I haven’t seen you or the shop open around here in a while, are you sure you’re alright? There’s been a lot happening in town while you’ve been gone.”

“You noticed I been gone?” He shot back suddenly, the only thing registering, his lip curling a bit.

“Well, you guys own a much needed store in this town, it would be missed if it were to go untouched.” He took another step forward, watching you stumble over your words seemed rewarding. All this time he’d been around, seen you, wanting to do something, it’s not like he was scared to do it, and to tell the truth he didn’t really understand his infatuation at first. He’d seen you walk the streets, crossing by his shop window whenever you’d head into town, the times you’d visit and leave just as fast, cheeks blushing pink when you’d see him. And that’s what stayed with him. Things weren’t all that it seemed behind those four walls, his life felt withdrawn of colour, everything was weight.  But you, oh you were light, some beautiful sign, something he chased for, something he was determined to make his. And with his life now, he knew what that meant.

“You know what I mean. “ You feigned confidence in your words, now in reality that a truth, but in honesty, you knew it was more than that; much more.

He took another step forward, this time as you took one back, your heel clicked with the root of a tree, giving a thud as you braced both of your arms behind you, pushing you up as much as you could, feeling the rough bark at your finger tips. “You miss me?” His nature shifted, and his head tilted with it, swaying the lantern as he walked, a few steps distance between you both. The light flickered, so much so the shape of his face seemed to contort. 

And his eyes, they glossed over an iridescent white, glinting specks of red and orange, something that you hadn’t seen before. Something that wasn’t human. 

But you blinked and they were gone.

They were normal, a darker brown suited them, staring at you knowingly. “You could say that.” Your breath shook, but not out of fear, no, but instead the way he drew near, closer and closer. He flashed you a smile as you tried to think of the right words, but now his teeth.

Another blink.

And the once rounded molars were sharp and jagged, more like an animal, something made for tearing into flesh. And you felt your stomach drop and an ache that pooled downward, one you couldn’t control.

He staggered, dropping his head forward to look at the ground before looking up to you again. He rested his arm on the piece of tree behind your head, getting quieter, though his voice rang in your ears, ”Saw the way you looked at me back at the store, and I should have said somethin’.” 

“Bo, that was just-“ He took the final step between you, leaving the lantern at your feet, his finger came up to your mouth shushing you, knowing where you were going with what you said next, seemingly before you did. His eyes still had a distinct gentile in them, the same as the one you knew before, even beyond his new form. And no words had to be uttered to tell you what that was.

The truth you both knew. The limited glint from the light reflected from his eye to yours, and you could see your face in the shine. 

“You're telling me that was nothin’, that you didn’t think of about it,” A serious expression on his face, his brows furrowed, he brushed his fingers down against your side, drawing a line against the curve of your waist, “Not even once?”  His face flashed with a sense of pride, and the way his pupils dilated was proof of what knew to be true. Your hips jolted forward at the feather light touch and he brought his hand down to cup your thigh, giving it a soft squeeze. 

“Bo..” Your face grew red, so red someone would think you’d be laying in that beating sun all day long.

“Y/N.. Tell me.” 

Inches away from your face he pressed against you, slanting closer, his voice a staggered whisper, and his lips damp.

 “Ever since you saw me last..”  You looked down at them, seeing drool at the edges of them and you chuckled a little. He sucked in a keen breath as you scraped yourself against the tree, gaining balance, bringing your finger up to wipe at it.

“Hey, you’re droolin’”

“You want some?” Your head shot up at his quip, bangs of his hair falling into your face, your noses touching. You smiled through your flushed expression, the wetness gathered on your finger and he leaned to kiss as it lightly, drawing his tongue at the remnants. Bo moved his face closer so that your hand laid on his cheek, nuzzling his nose up against your own, he pressed himself against you rocking his hips.

Without an answer, you tugged his face towards yours, closing the gap between you, gasping into his mouth at the friction he was causing. His tongue pushed into your mouth with passion, lips locking with yours as he slotted his knee between you, cupping your sex against his pants, leaving no resistance with the sensation, and you pushed down with a whine.

“God baby..” He licked at your mouth, biting at your top lip fiercely, and he dragged down kissing at your jaw, leaving soft chaste, open mouthed marks toward your neck. His lips felt familiar, so much so they tugged at you, on your heart, so much it almost hurt.

“Please..” You whimpered as Bo’s teeth bared at your neck, along your jugular long enough to feel your heart rumble beneath the canines, feel it even. He sucked in a breath, planting a hard, marking kiss before continuing down. His hands manoeuvred down your shirt, pushing through the soft fabric, bracing his fingers over your breasts and pulling away at the buttons, undoing them one by one by one. And he placed himself on the ground kneeling in front of you. 

The tangerine tones scattered across your body like a reckoning, and he grasped with the sight of it, not knowing whether to sit and study or ruin you completely. His head rested against your lower stomach, almost begging you, his hands teasing up the backs of your legs, gripping you where you stood. Your mouth hung open, shivering at his motions. You watched, entranced, as he effortlessly lifted the hem of your skirts, pushing the fabric higher until it rested above your hips. With deliberate slowness, he tugged at the corners of your panties, peeling them down around your ankles. The cool air exposed your cunt, sending another wave of shivers through you as he began tracing the length of your thigh up and down with his tongue.

Your hips jolted forward, and he wasted no time in aimlessly yanking at your hips, his hands scooping up at the flesh of your ass holding you up just enough to reach your centre. Bo grunted as his mouth reached you, pulling you back and forth onto his tongue as he sucked on your clit, the tips of his fingers digging in as you brought your hand to his hair.

The black strands now turning into a disheveled mess in your grasp, there being no reservations at all about his drool slicking down the sides of his mouth as he was moaning into your cunt, fucking  his tongue into you, fingers continuing to dig into your hips. He gets lost in the way your breath hitches, the way you say his name - over and over again without abandon, and oh how he’s been waiting, wanting to hear that.

“That’s it pretty girl, I’ve got you.” He groans as your taste coats his tongue, thick with your sweet slick, the height of his newfound senses alerting with each and every movement, and he swears that its the best thing he’s tasted, beyond the blood. He plunged deeper and you could do nothing but follow with a string of moans. You fell apart against him, arching your back into his face as you guided him impossibly close, your head falling back against the wood behind you. All of this time, imagining, yearning and here you were now without a care in the world hissing at every touch he gave, every ounce of pleasure he was willing to give. 

His motions didn’t relent, mouth warming against you as his he flicked his tongue in figures of eight, only pausing to suck harshly, and it was too much.

Over and.

Over.

You came undone, a white hot strike vibrating through you and your legs trembled, clenching around him with a cry, “Baby..”.

That was enough for him and he nudged upward, cupping your one leg up to his hip and you circled it around his middle shamelessly. 

The thick humidity enveloped you as you panted, heart racing, when he finally came face to face with you once more. A wicked grin spread across his lips, his fangs catching the dim light. You shuddered, but it wasn’t fear that coursed through you; it was the anticipation of what was about to happen. 

He leaned in, pressing his lips to yours in a soft, delicate kiss, and you instinctively squeezed your eyes shut. You were standing before a darkness, a malevolence you had been warned about for years—an evil you were all too familiar with, yet never imagined you could draw so close to but your whole being knew.

“I don’t know if I can stop myself.” He breathed out, all restraint he took against himself, resting his head falling against your shoulder, still kissing at the curve of your neck. But you already felt it, with your body pressed against his, you hissed at the motion of his dick pressing through his pants. You reached down to the hem of his shirt, fingers trembling as you pulled it up, revealing the taut muscles of his abdomen. The heat radiated from his skin, mingling with the dew around you, the atmosphere made your heart race.

 You could feel the tension building, the unspoken desires hanging in the air, thick and intoxicating you into a compulsion.

“I shouldn’t do this,” you whispered, though the conviction behind your words was faltering. Part of you wanted to push him away, to run from the danger he represented, yet another part—a part you couldn’t ignore—yearned to lean into the darkness he offered.

His lips ghosted over your collarbone, sending shivers down your spine. “But you want to,” he murmured, pulling back just enough to meet your gaze, those dark eyes glinting with mischief and hunger. “You’ve felt it too, haven’t you darlin’? The pull between us?”

You inhaled sharply, the air thick with the scent of rain-soaked earth and his intoxicating presence. 

“Yes,” you admitted, a soft breath escaping your lips. “But it’s reckless. You could hurt me.”

His grin widened, a blend of danger and allure. “And I could do much more than that.” With a swift, fluid motion, he captured your wrist and pulled you closer, bodies flush against each other, the space between you ablaze with possibility. "But what if I promised to keep you safe?"

You hesitated, heart racing as your mind raced with the implications. Could you trust him? Your instincts screamed caution, yet your body betrayed you, yearning for his touch, for the thrill of the unknown.

As he leaned in again, brushing his lips just above yours, the world around you faded into insignificance. In this moment, it was just the two of you, teetering on the edge of danger and desire “Then show me,” you dared. “Show me what you can do.”

He hesitated for just a moment, as if weighing the gravity of your words, before his eyes darkened with an intensity that sent shivers down your spine. He leaned in, his lips brushing against your neck, sending a rush of excitement coursing through you.

The moment his fangs pierced your skin, a sharp gasp escaped your lips and he bucked his hips forward. It was a mixture of pain and a wave of pleasure that stole your breath away. You felt a jolt of energy surge through you as he fed, the warmth of his body pressing against yours, igniting a fire deep in your core - your leg tightened around him.

He caressed your thigh, keeping you pinned between him and the tree and the other grabbing at what he could of your waist as he drank from you, his mouth moving with a sensuous rhythm that sent a heat radiating through your body. Mindlessly your fingers wrapped around his buckle, undoing the chipped metal with a clink that hardly met either one of your ears but he felt it. Your head slacked against the top of his, grabbing at his hips he groaned, and your wetness covered a patch against his clothed cock. 

You could feel your heartbeat thrumming in your ears, each pulse syncing with the deep, primal need that blossomed between you, feeling the same dizziness you felt weeks before, this time only stronger. His hands, his mouth, while mostly solid, feel tingly, cold in a way that's akin to walking through fog. His breath is warm as it huffs against your neck, a delicious push and pull of sensation. 

With a low growl, he pulled back from your neck slightly, his eyes glinting crimson, a reflection of the warmth of your blood glistened on his lips, a stark reminder of the line you had crossed. “You’re somethin’ honey, let me take care of that for you,” he breathed, his voice low and husk.

The pulse in your neck rippling with every beat of your heart as he rested his forehead against your own, darting his tongue out to kiss you again, giving you the taste of your own blood, now yours, now his.

Bo leered at you and you all you could muster was a dumb smile back. He undid the rest of what you started, eyes watching you and you only as he pulled his dick from his pants. Long, and thick, and leaking, he cursed to himself at the aching and moaned, kissing your cheek. The stretch ignited an intense burn and your hands travelled down his back, tugging at the tight muscle, feeling the weight of everything he put against you. 

He leaned you all the way against him to where you were nearly laying as though on a bed yet still angled as though lounging on upright against the tree. The new angle pushed his cock to the sweetest pull, pushing against your plush walls and letting a gasp escape you in turn. Bo smoothed the sides of your body while your feet turned under you and you let your body rest on him. He ran over your breasts slowly through the opening of your lace shirt. Nipples long and pebbled, he squeezed the flesh and brought them up before releasing them again. Bo brought his head to rest beside yours as he thrusted into you once more, blood curdling at your cheek from his mouth.

The wound at your neck stung, with every delicious snap of his hips it jerked your bodies, a solidified reminder now every time he pounded into you. Each snap hitting perfectly deep as his hands cradled you and his words filled your mind with him. 

“You’re my girl.” He declared before you could even conjure up the thought. “Say it darlin’.” He continued guiding his hand at your leg, hoisting you as he brought is finger to your clit, rubbing the sensitive bud, as his end neared.

“I’m yours.” You whined, bringing your finger to ghost atop his own as it circled your clit. The familiar heat in your core began to bubble like the markings of a burning fuse.  You turned your head to his and kissed him deeply at the thought, rubbing your clit furiously with the help of his hand and relishing the way his cock completed your body. 

“You’ll be mine.” Bo reaffirmed as his words caught every second his hips threatened to stutter at his release. “You’ll be mine forever ain’t that right.” 

You could have sworn you saw the waves of Heaven wash over you as the eruption of your orgasm shakes you to the core. The blinding shades of his orbs stuck on you leaving you heaving  for breath. Left thoughtless and wordless of promises that carry on with the shaking of your thighs and soft whispers of  an ‘always’ from his lips. Bo stilled as he released, head slacking and mouth hanging open he moaned, his hips stuttered into you and the threads of his cum began to leak beyond where he filled you. 

He released his hand from your own and rubbed your arms soothingly as you laid heavy against him, bracing you against the tree, his hand smoothing over your shoulders as to be careful. Sweat stuck to you as your hair frizzed out of place, the last droplets of blood dribbled out down your neck and he caught it with his finger. 

You let out a hiss at the sensation but pouted, he readjusted your skirts, letting his forehead rest against yours once more, closing his eyes as your head knocked into his own and he grinned lightly. And you regained what was left of your breath as your vision faltered, only able to see his face in the dim glow.

“Now you will be.” 

And a promise or a guarantee, who could know? But he intended to keep both.

The room was a time capsule of academia–walls lined with sagging bookshelves crammed with faded spines of statistics tomes and dog-eared journals, the faint aroma of stale coffee mingling with the earthy, almost astringent scent of old paper and the subtle cling of chalk dust that seemed to envelop every surface. A brass desk lamp–rusted from years of use–casted a warm, amber light over the chaos of his desk: stacks of red-inked exams, a half-forgotten mug of coffee that had been sitting there long enough for it to look like a science experiment, and a calendar marked with impending deadlines that seemed to have been crossed off and rewritten. Outside the narrow, rain-spattered window, the university quad blurred into a grey haze, autumn leaves swirling in the wind like confetti from a failed celebration, their wet slap against the glass punctuating the tension that was rising inside.

Todd froze mid-pace, his polished oxfords grinding to a halt on the threadbare Persian rug that muffled his steps but couldn’t dampen the storm raging within him. His light brown hair–that was typically swept back and neat–now hung in disarray over his forehead, strands clinging slightly from the dampness of the drizzle he had braved to get here. His blue eyes–sharp, almost crystalline, like shards of sky reflected in a frozen lake–flashed with a potent mix of disbelief and indignation as he pivoted to face the professor. His angular jaw clenched, highlighting the stubble that shadowed his cheeks, a rare sign of neglect in his otherwise impeccable routine. Dressed in his signature blend of fraternity poise and business-major ambition–a well-fitted blue dress shirt splattered with raindrops, a dark red tie with a dotted white pattern that was now slightly askew from his agitated gestures, and a pair of black tailored dress pants that showed off his long legs–the ensemble screamed of someone who strived for perfection in every facet of life. But perfection had eluded him this time, and the sting of it burned like acid in his veins, which only drove him even further to be here instead of being at the fraternity meeting he was due to show up to.

He had sacrificed everything for this midterm–his fall break evaporated in a haze of isolation at the KNA house, where the thump of bass from downstairs parties had been his only companion while he hunched over his desk, eyes bleary from the glare of his laptop screen. Pot after pot of scalding black coffee had scorched his throat, fueling marathon sessions where he went over practice questions, online tests, and YouTube tutorials on the sections he was struggling with until the formulas were dancing mockingly in his dreams. He wasn’t used to failure; he was the golden boy, the KNA president who led by example, acing classes, talking himself and his fellow brothers out of any issues staff threw at them, and of course keeping up the GPA that kept him in this powerful position. Excellence wasn’t optional–it was part of his identity, woven into every late-night study grind and every calculated social move.

And now, that glaring 42% on his exam paper, crumpled in his fist like a betrayal from his own mind, threatened to unravel it all. The red ink seemed to pulse under his grip, a vivid reminder that even his best efforts could crumble and destroy him. Begging here, in this dim den of defeat, made his skin crawl even more and only made him feel worse than the failure, but he needed to fight, he needed to get what he needed to improve or else he felt like his chest was going to cave in on itself.

“I understand, sir,” Todd replied, his voice steady but threaded with an unyielding edge, like he was trying to convey that he wasn’t going to give up so easily. He planted his feet wider, broadening his shoulders as if to physically assert himself, “But there has to be something you can do to help me out. I need this mark up before the end of the semester, and because you took two weeks to give these results back, I’m now in a time crunch to try and find someone who can help me…I know this may come off as entitled, but I think you should empathize with the frustration I’m feeling at the moment.” Professor Davis snorted softly, adjusting his glasses with a flick of his finger, the lenses catching the lamplight and flashing like a warning signal. The deep bags under his eyes–purplish shadows etched from years of midnight grading and the relentless grind of tenure–crinkled as he narrowed his gaze.

”Empathize? Mr.Stevens, empathy won’t rewrite your answers or magically boost your understanding of variance. You’re not the first overachiever to crash and burn on my exams, and you won’t be the last. I’ve got a line out the door of students just like you–fraternity hotshots, dean’s listers, all convinced they’re special cases, and that they deserve my guidance. I am not one to allow people to cruise through my course without earning it…So figure it out on your own; that’s what adulthood is about.” Todd’s eyes darkened from the comment, like the anger was pooling and evaporating the shimmering colour, he was tempted to slam his hands on the desk in front of him, to snap and argue and yell, but he knew it wouldn’t help his case. He could feel his heart thumping in his head, the pulse almost blurring his vision from the pace, as he drew his bottom lip between his teeth, biting the dry skin, taking a deep breath. It was obvious that this was what Professor Davis wanted, to push and frustrate until his opponent snapped and he would have an excuse to kick them out, but Todd didn’t relent, he couldn’t, and he wasn’t going to even if it would’ve been the easiest option.

”With all due respect, Professor, this isn’t about being special; it’s about fairness. I didn’t just wing this–I studied, attended class, took notes, sacrificed my break, and pushed myself to the limit because I don’t settle for mediocrity. My GPA isn’t just numbers to me, it’s what I need to keep all my doors open, and now it’s dropped and you’re not even going to acknowledge that you couldn’t even get the grades back in a normal time frame to give your students a chance to recover. You have to have something to get this grade up–extra credit, a retake…Anyting. You owe us that much for designing an exam that literally half the class bombed.” Professor Davis leaned back, the chair groaning in protest, his thin lips twisting into a wry smile that didn’t reach his tired eyes. He steepled his fingers, nails tapping rhythmically against each other, the sound sharp in the confined space.

”Son, I owe you an education, not a bailout. Need I remind you that the other half of the class passed…And extra credit is for participation, not for damage control. Do you want to make a mockery of the educational process? Every student in here today has claimed the same–hours poured in, egos bruised…Boo hoo…Go to the tutoring center; join a study group…” Todd ran a hand through his hair again, the strands soft yet tangled under his fingers. Heat flushed his cheeks, and the tie around his neck felt tighter, constricting like the walls that were closing in around him.

”Study groups are chaotic. I need targeted, efficient help. I’m not asking for handouts; I’m asking for a fighting chance. You know my record–I’m not some slacker.” The professor rubbed his temples, the skin papery under his touch, exhaling a long, defeated breath that fogged his glasses slightly. The rain outside intensified, a relentless panting against the window that mirrored the back-and-forth barrage between student and educator. His shoulders sagged, the weight of the day–and perhaps a grudging respect for Todd’s tenacity–wearing him down.

”Fine…There’s one student who might help–she’s a peer tutor sometimes, depending on where we are in the semester, she holds the highest average in the class…Name’s Y/N L/N. But that’s all you’re going to get from me; you’re on your own finding her. Consider it a lesson in resourcefulness.” Todd’s posture eased slightly, a flicker of triumph cutting through the tension, though his eyes remained vigilant. He nodded sharply, pocketing the mental note like a hard-won trophy, the name etching itself into his mind.

”Y/N L/N. Got it. Thank you, sir–I’ll make it count.” He stated, straightening his tie with a precise tug, the silk smooth against the heated, clammy skin of his hands, before grabbing his jacket off the chair he had thrown it on and strode out, the door clicking shut behind him loudly, like a seal on one of the most frustration conversations he had experienced in a while.

——————

Finding you proved to be far more arduous than Todd had anticipated, a vexing puzzle that gnawed at his already frayed nerves like an insistent itch he couldn’t scratch. The moment he stepped out of Professor Davis’s office and left the building completely, he yanked his phone from his jacket pocket with a swift, almost desperate motion. The cool, slick glass of the screen met his thumb, still slightly warm from the hour of usage while he was waiting for office hours to commence, and he tapped your name into the google search bar, his fingers flying across the virtual keys with the precision of someone who might’ve typed your name multiple times.

Rain continued to drizzle from the overcast sky, fat droplets splattering against his shoulders and beading the scratchy fabric of his jacket, soaking it with a subtle chill that seeped through to his shirt, mirroring the frustration in his chest. The campus paths were slick underfoot, puddles reflecting the grey gloom overhead, and the air carried the earthy petrichor of wet leaves and damp, dying grass, mixed with soil, a scent that usually invigorated him but now only amplified his impatience.

The search yielded nothing substantial–no profiles, no traces of a digital footprint that most people his age left scattered across the web like breadcrumbs. You were a ghost in the machine, absent from Instagram, Twitter, and even the relics of MySpace or an outdated Facebook page from your high school days. It was as if you had meticulously erased yourself from every online database, a deliberate act of invisibility that struck him as both archaic and infuriating. Todd let out a frustrated sigh, the sound escaping his lips in a visible puff of breath against the chilly autumn air, his eyes narrowing at the screen as he paused under the shelter of a towering oak tree, its branches heavy with rain-soaked leaves that dripped sporadically onto the top of his head.

Of course, he thought bitterly, the one person who could salvage his crumbling grade had to be a recluse, some hermetic scholar buried in books rather than the vibrant chaos of campus life. Fleeting thoughts swirled in his mind like the leaves at his feet: how could anyone in this hyper-connected era shun social media entirely? No selfies, no status updates, no networked connections to leverage or friendships? And worse, he was about to entangle himself with someone who likely possessed zero social awareness, a wallflower who’d probably stammer through explanations and avoid eye contact, making their sessions an exercise in awkward endurance rather than one of efficient learning.

But surrendering to these answers wasn’t in his vocabulary; he clicked over to the images tab, his thumb scrolling downward with determined flicks, the screen’s glow casting a pale blue hue on his rain-dampened face. He was hunting for any crumb, any visual clue that would confirm your existence at Sumpter University and point him toward your whereabouts.

Rows of thumbnails blurred past–irrelevant faces, unrelated articles–until he spotted mentions of your name on the university’s Dean’s List posting, semester after semester, a testament to your academic prowess. There were even a few award-winning essays linked to scholarly sites, dense with citations and analytical depth, showcasing a mind sharp enough to dissect complex theories with surgical precision–it was evident you were no business major. You were undeniably successful, a high-achiever whose accolades gleamed like polished trophies in the digital ether. If you were a guy, Todd would be recruiting you for KNA in a heartbeat–someone with that drive would thrive in the fraternity’s competitive ecosystem, networking their way to power. Yet here you were, a woman whose potential seemed squandered by your invisibility…Even the absence of a LinkedIn profile baffled him, especially in a job market where presenting achievements in one centralized hub could mean the difference between landing a coveted interview and languishing in obscurity. From his own experience–polishing his profile with internships, endorsements from professors, and a meticulously curated feed of professional milestones–he knew how vital that visibility was.

The fruitless hunt drained him, and as he trudged back to the KNA house, with the rain pattering against him, he moved in a faze, his mind looping through dead ends. The house looked like a grand Victorian structure with columns and a wraparound porch, its windows aglow with warm light against the darkening sky, the faint thrum of music and laughter spilling out like an invitation he wasn’t in the mood to accept. He greeted his frat brothers with absent nods and clipped small talk–

“Hey, man, how’d the prof meeting go?” One asked, nudging him with a beer-scented breath emitting from his mouth.

”Rough, but handling it,” Todd replied, forcing a tight smile that didn’t reach his eyes as he navigated the crowded living room, the air thick with the mingled scents of pizza grease, spilled alcohol, something undeniably sticky and sweet–like they had dropped a soft drink on the floor–and the underlying musk of too many young men in one space. It felt like a relief when he escaped upstairs, locking his bedroom door with a decisive click that shut out the noise.

He shed his jacket, throwing it down onto his desk chair, before collapsing onto his bed, the expensive cooling memory foam mattress absorbing the impact, molding to the contours of his body like a custom embrace that eased the tension in his shoulders and back. The room was dim, lit only by the soft glow of his phone screen as he shifted up and propped himself against the headboard. Shadows danced on the walls, adorned with framed KNA memorabilia and motivational posters.

Resuming his search, he delved deeper into the images tab, his eyes straining against the bright display in the otherwise darkened space.

Then, amidst the sea of irrelevant visuals, he struck gold: a group photo from what appeared to be some sort of event, everyone clad in matching burnt orange sweaters, the fabric looking soft and slightly faded, emblazoned with “Sumpter Faith Group” in bold white script across the chests. The image captured a cluster of smiling students posed on a grassy lawn under a clear blue sky, perhaps from a spring retreat or charity event, their faces flushed with camaraderie. The caption beneath listed names from left to right, and he scoured through it quickly, until finally there it was–your name, slotted in the middle row.

Todd couldn’t suppress a low, guttural ‘ugh’ that rumbled from his throat, a sound of exasperated resignation that hung in the quiet room like a deflated balloon. In the photo, you offered the camera a closed-mouth smile, modest and reserved, your eyes crinkling slightly at the corners with what seemed like genuine but subdued warmth. Your arms were draped causally over the shoulders of the two guys flanking you–geeky types with awkward postures, earnest grins and toothy smiles, like this was the first time being touched by a woman–they were faces Todd recognized vaguely from past pledge rushes, perhaps washout or peripheral hangers-on he’d dismissed as not quite KNA material. The whole scene screamed wholesome piety, a snapshot of faith-fueled fellowship that made his stomach twist.

”A bible thumper,” He murmured to himself, the words tasting sour on his tongue, laced with a mix of annoyance and reluctant amusement. It shouldn’t have surprised him; Oklahoma was rife with them, a state where church steeples dotted the landscape like exclamation points, and faith was as ingrained as the red dirt soil. Even his own parents fell into that statistic, devout attendees of Sunday services, their home filled with crucifixes and well-thumbed Bibles that had shaped his early years.

Todd harboured no outright disdain for those with religious beliefs–live and let live, as far as he was concerned–but things got prickly when faith was thrusted upon him, an unwelcome echo of his childhood dragged to mass every weekend, the pew hard and unforgiving under his fidgeting young body, the incense tick in his nostrils as he was compelled to kneel and reflect on the week’s “sins,” repenting to wash away the guilt that felt imposed rather than earned.

He’d been a believer once, clinging to the rituals with wide-eyed sincerity, until adolescence brought clarity: there were too many experiences, too many freedoms he was missing out on, stifled by doctrines that no longer fit the current social climates. Now, it felt like some cosmic jest, a higher power wielding a baseball bat of irony, dangling the key to his academic redemption in the form of a faith-group devotee. Was this divine payback for his lapsed ways?

A heavy sigh escaped him, his chest deflating as he locked the phone with a click, the screen fading to black and plunging the room into deeper shadow. He tossed the device onto the mattress beside him, where it landed with a soft bounce, and let his head fall back onto the pillow, the cool fabric cradling his neck as he stared at the ceiling’s textured patterns, which were barely visible in the dark. Fleeting notions flitted through his mind–that perhaps failure was survivable, a dent in his armour he could buff out elsewhere, or that he could scour the class for another tutor, someone who wouldn’t give him flashbacks to when he was younger. But reality hit him: you had the highest average, and if there had been a viable alternative, Davis would have offered it up. You were his only shot.

So, with a resolved exhale that stirred the air around him, he settled on tracking you down in person the next day, his mind already mapping out the campus hotspots–libraries, lecture halls, perhaps even that faith group’s meeting spot–where a reclusive overachiever like you might surface.

——————

Todd awoke the next morning like a man on a mission, the insistent beep of his alarm slicing through the hazy veil of sleep, pulling him upright with a surge of purpose that chased away the lingering fog of exhaustion. The room was bathed in the soft, diffused light of early dawn seeping through the cracks in his blinds, creating a pale glow over the scattered remnants of last night’s frustration–his discarded jacket still draped over the chair, the phone charger twisted up around his phone and nightstand like a little booby trap. The air felt crisp and cool against his bare skin, carrying the faint, residual warmth of his body heat trapped under the sheets, a comforting contrast to the chill that awaited outside. Todd swung his legs over the bed’s edge, the mattress springing back with a subtle rebound, and padded to the bathroom, the floorboards creaking softly under his weight.

His shower was a brisk ritual, steam rising in lazy curls as hot water pounded against his freckled splattered back, loosening his muscles with rhythmic pressure that bordered on therapeutic. Droplets traced fiery paths down his chest and arms, the scent of his cedar-infused body wash filling the enclosed space, invigorating and grounding him in the moment, shaking the sleep off him completely. He shaved with swift, precise strokes, the razor’s edge gliding over his jawline, erasing the shadow of stubble and leaving his skin smooth, tinged with the cool sting of aftershave that burned his nostrils for a few seconds when he applied it.

Combing his hair back, he ensured it laid slick and disciplined, each strand tamed into place with a light pomade that left a slight sheen. Dressing was equally deliberate: a plain white t-shirt that clung softly to his torso, the cotton fresh and crisp against his skin; black jeans that hugged his legs with comfortable restraint, the denim whispering as he moved; and well-worn sneakers that matched perfectly, ideal for a day free of obligations. He shrugged into his jacket, the zippers teeth meshing with a satisfying rasp, the fabric still faintly damp from yesterday but warming quickly against his body heat. Slinging his army green messenger bag over one shoulder–the strap digging slightly into his flesh with the weight of books–he slipped out of the house before the first groans of awakening brothers could detain him, the front door clicking shut with a muffled finality that sealed his solitude for the day.

The weather had devolved into a tempestuous fury overnight, the once-gentle patter of rain now a relentless torrent hammering down from leaden skies, wind whipping through the trees with a low howl that sent sodden leaves skittering across the paths like fleeing shadows. Water cascaded in sheets, soaking the ground into a slick, reflective mire, the air heavy with the raw bite of ozone and saturated earth, each inhale sharp and laced with the metallic tang of an impending thunderstorm. Todd hunched forward, his sneakers splashing through deepening puddles that sent icy sprays up his calves, chilling his skin through the denim. He opted for the nearest covering: one of the campus’s labyrinthine libraries, a mere five-minute slog from the KNA house, its imposing stone facade looming like a bastion against the deluge. It was on his list of options where he would find you so it was a good place to start.

Swinging open the heavy oak doors, he was greeted by a rush of heated air that enveloped him like a welcoming embrace, the sudden shift from cold to warmth pricking his rain-flushed cheeks and drawing a sigh of relief from his lips. He paused in the grand foyer, running his fingers through his sodden hair, squeezing out rivulets of water that trickled down his neck in cool trails, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

His eyes scanned the directory plaque, its brass surface etched with floor plans under the soft glow of pendant lights, confirming the study rooms’ seclusion on the upper echelons–the seventh, eighth, and ninth floors, realms of hushed isolation. Forgoing the elevator’s mechanical hum, he ducked into the stairwell, the enclosed space echoing with the rhythmic thud of his footsteps as he ascended, skipping steps in twos and threes, his breath deepening into a steady cadence that matched the burn building in his thighs. He mentally tallied the floors–six…Five…Four–the metallic tang of the handrail cool under his pal, the air growing slightly mustier with each level, infused with the faint scent of old varnish.

Reaching the seventh floor, he eased the metal door open with a subdued groan of hinges, slipping into a vast expanse that felt like stepping into a sacred vault. Rows upon rows of towering bookshelves stretched into the dimness, laden with archives and volumes bound in leather and cloth, their spines faded to muted hues under layers of dust, the air thick with the rich, nostalgic perfume of aged paper, ink, and the slight undernote of wood polish.

This was uncharted territory for Todd; he’d never gone beyond the fifth floor’s cacophony of conference rooms, where laughter and debates mingled freely. Here, the quietude was absolute, a profound stillness that pressed against his eardrums like a physical weight, broken only by the distant whir of an air vent and the occasional creak of settling shelves–it was as if he’d been thrown into a bizarro world, a parallel dimension where the library’s essence distilled to pure, undiluted scholarship, devoid of the social veneer below.

The floor laid deserted, the early hour deterring even the most ardent academics, the golden light of morning filtering through tall, arched windows in slanted beams that illuminated motes of dust dancing lazily in the air. Undaunted, Todd ventured along the outer perimeter, where study rooms encircled the shelves like glass-walled sanctuaries, enclosures that invited voyeuristic glimpses into private realms–unless the occupants were privy of the people lurking beyond and slid the curtains closed. The first few stood vacant, doors propped slightly ajar like open invitations, tables pristine and chairs aligned with military precision, the faint scent of lemon cleaner lingering from the overnight janitorial rounds that were made. Then, his gaze alighted on you, and a profound wave of relief washed over him, easing the taut coil in his chest–he’d found you astonishingly fast, a stroke of luck amid his string of misfortunes.

Instinctively, he ducked behind a nearby shelf, the cool, slightly gritty edge of the wood pressing into his collarbone as he peered through the gaps, his breath shallow as if he was trying to avoid detection, even though the study rooms themselves were soundproof. You paced the confines of your space with absorbed intensity, a solitary figure in a bubble of focus, murmuring to yourself in fragmented whispers–perhaps rehearsing something or debating your steps–while idly sucking on the end of a large sour key, plucked from a sizable container you’d brought as your personal incentive system.

Your attire spoke of causal seclusion: black track shorts that draped baggy over your hips and thighs, the soft fabric swishing with each pivot and stride, hinting at freedom of movement; paired with a cropped blue half-zip hoodie that billowed loosely, its hem riding up teasingly whenever you extended an arm to the whiteboard, exposing fleeting slivers of the smooth, inviting dip at the small of your back, your skin glowing faintly under the room’s fluorescent hum. Your gaze flicked over to your laptop screen, angled on the cluttered table amid a sprawl of colour-coded notes, highlighter uncapped and at the ready, and a half-empty water bottle that was condensing with dew.

Returning to the whiteboard, you rose onto your tiptoes, your calves tautening in a graceful arch to maintain the alignment of your script. From Todd’s vantage, the markings were enigmatic–a labyrinth of formulas or perhaps a detailed diagram, loops of symbols intertwining with arrows and annotations that bespoke a discipline far afield from statistics, maybe biochemistry or engineering schematics, he didn’t know for sure. You halted abruptly, retreating a step with a tilt of your head, slipping the dampened end of the sour key back between your lips, cheeks concealing as you drew on it contemplatively. Todd imagined he could see the intricate machinery of your mind at work, your eyes glazing slightly as they roved over your handwriting, processing, analyzing, before your extracted the candy from your mouth, and surged forward again, drawing a bold underline beneath the mysterious question and appending fresh insights below, the marker flowing freely against the board.

Seizing this distraction, Todd advanced in a series of fluid, hushed strides, his pulse quickening with a mix of adrenaline and anticipation. He raked his fingers through his hair once more, taming any errant curls born of the rain, ensuring he appeared composed, if not entirely polished. Grasping the handle–astonished to find it yielded without resistance–he thrusted through the threshold, the door swinging inward with a gentle displacement of air that carried the room’s essence outward.

In an instant, Todd’s senses were besieged by a confectionery onslaught: the cloyingly sweet, artificially fruity bouquet of the sour keys, a vibrant fusion of granulated sugar and biting citric acid that danced in the air like an edible fog, seamlessly blending with a deeper, more seductive layer–a juicy, realistic black cherry perfume that saturated the space, clinging to fabrics and surfaces, infiltrating his nostrils and settling on his palate like a forbidden nectar that triumphed the toxic smell of the whiteboard marker you were using.

The metallic snick of the handle and the door’s intrusion propelled you into a startled leap, a soft yelp escaping as you pivoted to confront him, the sour key tumbling slightly in your grasp. Up close, the detailed sharpened: your tongue bowed a delicate crimson tint from the candy’s pigments, a glossy sheen that accentuated their fullness; your eyes flared wide expanding in the shock of interruption, lashes framing a gaze that shifted from alarm to dawning realization. For a suspended moment, words eluded you, but recognition drowned you, etching surprise across your features.

Of course you knew him–the enigmatic president of KNA, the fraternity synonymous with legendary bashes, hazing rituals that seemed made up, and coveted invitations, where earning a pledge slot was mythologized as a rite of passage, or so the campus whispers claimed. You had absorbed the lore reluctantly through your friends’ tangential ties to party-goers, caught fleeting sights of him striding into lectures with an effortless authority, like he owned the place, though you had always departed early from your front-row perch, evading the post-class throng. You had never truly spoken a word to the man. Yet here he was, a legendary apparition in your private domain, his hair damp and coiling into gentle waves as it air-dried, those mesmerizing blue eyes–intense, like polished azure gems capturing the light–pinning you in place with a scrutiny that sent a nauseated feeling through your stomach. Your lips parted involuntarily under the weight of his gaze, a warmth blooming in your cheeks, but you rallied, corralling your scattered thoughts with a fluttering of your lashes.

”I’ve…I’ve got this booked till 11am, there’s other rooms that are available that are first come first served…” You informed, keeping your voice steady, watching as he stepped fully into the room.

”You’re in Professor Davis’s stats class, right?” He asked, ignoring what you had just said to him, while inadvertently inviting himself in without permission. The door sealed shut behind him with a soft, definitive thud that resonated faintly in the soundproofed enclosure, amplifying the sudden intimacy of the small room–a space that had felt like your personal fortress moments ago, now infiltrated by this unexpected presence. Your brows knitted together in confusion, a delicate crease forming between them like a shadow across your forehead, an undercurrent of wariness prickling along your skin, raising the fine hairs on your arms in a sort of primal response to the sudden shift in dynamics.

Nervously, you placed the wet sour key down onto one of the napkins scattered across the table, the candy’s glossy, sticky surface leaving a faint, tacky residue on your fingertips that you could feel clinging like a sweet echo of your disrupted focus. You recapped the marker with a sharp click, the plastic snapping into place quickly, before wringing it in your grip, the motion eliciting a squeaky protest as it twisted under the mounting pressure of your unease, the sound cutting through the quiet like a tiny, discordant note.

His voice was smooth but rough around the edges, carrying the husky timbre of someone who’d just emerged from the haze of sleep, or perhaps someone who hadn’t uttered a syllable until this precise instant–which struck you as profoundly incongruous for a campus luminary like him, a man who was perpetually encircled by chatter and admiration.

“Ye-Yeah I am…Why?” You pressed, hesitation lacing your voice like a fragile thread, weaving through your words with a subtle tremor that betrayed the whirlwind of questions swirling in your mind, your pulse quickening in your throat as you swallowed against the dryness creeping in. Because evidently he already knew the answer if he’d tracked you down like this. There was no other way Todd could possibly know who the hell you were beyond the fleeting overlap of that one lecture hall, and even that was tenuous; you were only enrolled in stats as an elective to bolster your GPA, a strategic cushion amid your biology-heavy curriculum, while he was studying business–which made stats a required course.

“Well, I heard you were top of the class and I thought I'd put a face to the grade so to speak…” He replied, a small smirk curling at the corners of his lips, a subtle, asymmetrical lift that unveiled a glimpse of straight white teeth and tempered the chiseled severity of his jaw, infusing his expression with a disarming charm that sent an unwelcome flutter through your chest. He reached up and ran his hand over his hair to smooth it out, his fingers combing through the damp strands with effortless nonchalance, though the gesture achieved very little–the waves simply recoiled with spirited resilience, catching glints from the overhead lights that danced like tiny sparks across their surface, emphasizing their soft, unruly vitality.

You felt your lashes flutter, as a warm flush crept up your neck like an invisible blanket, almost embarrassed at the mere notion that you had somehow infiltrated discussions in his exalted social sphere. Slowly, you shifted on your feet, the plush carpet yielding softly beneath your weight, crossing your arms over your body in a defensive fold, the hoodie’s fabric bunching against you, its soft texture brushing the tips of your fingers.

”Okay…Uh…Is there something else you wanted? Or did you just come in here to be creepy?” You trailed off, your voice threading with a hint of defensiveness that echoed in the enclosed space, glancing away from him toward the cluttered table where your notes were, because you couldn’t hold his gaze anymore. You picked absently at the grooved edge of the marker cap, the textured ridges digging into your fingertip, providing you with a tactile distraction that drew your focus amid the escalating tension, the faint click of your nail against plastic beating like a metronome in the silence.

Before looking back up at him, and locking onto his captivating eyes once more, he let out a small, almost surprised laugh–a low, resonate chuckle that vibrated through the air, genuine and completely unexpected, easing the knot twisting in your stomach just a fraction while igniting an unanticipated spark of curiosity that tingled along your spine.

”Professor Davis mentioned that you might be able to help me out with getting my grade up and I–“

“I don’t know why he gave you my name when I’m not a tutor…So you’re asking the wrong person for help.” You interrupted, your words carving through his sentence with a resolute edge, as you gripped the marker tighter. Todd could sense the standoffishness radiating from you like a tangible aura, the discomfort weaving through your tone, almost as if his offhand remark about your grades–intended as a lighthearted opener–had struck a discordant chord, stirring a veil of suspicion that made you question his motives. He bit the inside of his cheek pensively, the subtle sting of flesh yielding to his teeth blooming with a faint, coppery tang on his tongue, adjusting the rucksake on his shoulder with a small shift, the canvas strap rasping against his jacket as he recalibrated his approach.

He had to do something that would at least sway you into feeling bad for him, because evidently nothing short of emotional leverage was going to crack your resolute facade, and he knew exactly what he would have to do. It was the subtle art of manipulation he’d perfected over years in the fraternity trenches–deploying that boyish charm with a dash of calculated sweetness, his words laced with just enough vulnerability to make the listener feel like a hero for stepping in, all while steering the conversation like a seasoned captain navigating choppy waters. There was always a quiet thrill in it, the way he could read micro-expressions and adjust on the fly, turning skepticism into sympathy with a well-timed sigh or averted gaze, his voice dropping into that intimate, confiding timbre that made people lean in, eager to be the one who fixed things.

It was his only hope at this point, a finely tuned gambit worth every ounce of feigned humility if it could erode your defenses and pivot your mind toward acquiescence. If it faltered, though, leaving him adrift in outright rejection, he harboured one final, slightly detestable resort–a ploy that churned his stomach with self-disgust but promised ruthless efficacy: pluck at your presumed religious heartstrings, invoke mercy and redemption, framing his request as an opportunity for compassionate aid, making denial feel like a moral lapse, a quiet abandonment of the charitable spirit he had inferred from that faith-group snapshot.

Yes, it reeked of a manipulative sleight-of-hand, a cynical orchestration that left a bitter aftertaste on his tongue like overbrewed coffee, but desperation pulsed through him like a fevered heartbeat, scorching away ethical qualms–he couldn’t, wouldn’t, take no for an answer, not when the failure yawned before him, threatening to swallow up his year like a monster.

“Okay…Maybe we got off on the wrong foot…I just…” He paused, and you could see the moment of feigned introspection play out across his features like a carefully scripted scene–the way his eyes clouded with a manufactured veils of uncertainty, his jaw tightening just enough to suggest inner conflict without overplaying the drama, his mind visibly whirring like the mechanics of a lock aligning under skilled fingers, calibrating each nuance to dismantle your barriers and weave his charisma into a net of persuasion.

The confined study room seemed to contract further, the air growing denser, creating a sensory intimacy that made your pulse throb faintly in your temples, the fluorescent lights above buzzing softly like a distant hive, their steady glow casting ethereal highlights on the damp strands of hair that had fallen around Todd’s face.

He let out a defeated sigh, the exhalation weighted and resonant, his broad shoulders sagging imperceptibly to underscore a momentary yield, tearing his gaze from yours and breaking the magnetic eye contact–a strategic concession that handed you the illusion of control, as if you held the reins to his vulnerability, the shift palpable like the cool undercurrent of a breeze slipping beneath the door, stirring the fine hairs on your arms and making them feel less like armour and more like a perch from which to dispense judgement.

”I just need your help…Alright? I bombed the midterm we just got back, and I need to get my mark back up before the semester ends, and at this point you’re my only hope…I’m literally willing to do anything. I just can’t have this stupid mark on my transcript.” His plea hung in the air, laced with the desperation that could only come from the frustration of failure looming over his head like a storm, the words resonating through the enclosure with a raw, velvety timbre that vibrated against the glass walls.

It caught you off guard for a moment, snapping a fissure in your defenses as the conviction in his tone–whether born of truth or masterful artifice–tugged at your empathy, your fingers loosening their grip on the marker, its plastic surface now slick with the faint sheen of nervous perspiration from your palm.

You weren’t one for sob stories, but there was something so convincingly multifaceted about Todd–charming, almost in a hypnotic way that bordered on magnetic, teetering on personable if not for the subtle veneer of calculation glinting in his averted eyes like concealed facets of a diamond; it skirted the edge of sociopathic finesse, yet the despair carved into the faint furrows of his brow, the way his fingers flexed restlessly, didn’t ring entirely hollow, stirring a reluctant warmth that bloomed in your chest, like a part of you felt empathy for this man who could practically get the world handed to him on a silver platter.

Regardless, you found yourself falling into the trap, a slight surrender creeping through your veins like warm honey, softening the rigid lines of your posture. From the way your face was visibly softening–the faint crease between your brows easing, your lips parting slightly in hesitant contemplation–Todd could tell he had you right where he wanted you, a quiet victory sparking in his chest like the flicker of a match in the dark, though he wrestled back the urge to let a smirk curl onto his mouth to avoid unravelling the delicate web he’d spun. He could see the moment of consideration flashing through your eyes, a fleeting storm of indecision clouding their depths as your gaze drifted away from him for a breath, landing on the cluttered table.

Then you cleared your throat, the sound a soft, raspy interruption that cut through the air, the vibration tickling your vocal cords as you returned your eyes to his.

”There’s only four weeks and two tests left in the semester before the final and I have a very strict study schedule that I adhere to for my other classes…I don’t think…” You trailed off for a moment, noticing the way Todd’s jaw clenched at your words, a faint ripple of muscle beneath his skin, a flicker of restrained impatience, “I don’t think I’ll be able to get you the mark you want in that time frame.” You added quietly, feeling your heart stilling in your chest, a momentary hush in its steady rhythm like the world pausing between breaths, the words escaping your lips in a whisper that carried the weariness of someone who was too naive to know what type of reaction they would get.

There was a bout of silence, as the two of you stood and stared at one another, like there was a standoff of sorts. And you could see his lashes flutter slightly, squinting a little bit, almost like it was a nervous twitch of his, the delicate fringe framing his eyes in a way that humanized him further, drawing an involuntary flicker of curiosity through you. He knew you were just making excuses at the point, and while he understood you had other classes apart from stats there was no way you never studied for it; you must’ve slotted it into that aforementioned schedule of yours, the proof was in the marks.

So he decided to press even more, doubling down as much as possible without being too pushy, his posture relaxing just a fraction to invite reciprocity.

”I’ll work around your schedule…I already did the calculations, and as long as I get over a 75 on those tests and the final I’ll get a decent grade. So, even if you can lend me half an hour of your time, it would truly help…I just need some guidance.” His tone was softer this time, and you could tell he chose his words carefully, strategically, each syllable rolling off his tongue like a gentle caress, laced with a flexibility that painted him as accommodating rather than demanding–especially for someone who didn’t seem like he would have time to spare. It was truly evident that he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

A sigh escaped you, tumbling out into the air, completely resigned, your arms uncrossing slightly.

”Fine…We’ll meet here tonight at 8…Bring your old tests and the midterm with you so we can go over them together…” You murmured, and Todd couldn’t help the triumphant smile that appeared on his lips as you gave in, a genuine curve that lit his features up, his eyes sparkling with relief and victorious warmth, the expression transforming his face from calculated charm to something disarmingly boyish.

“Perfect! I’ll see you then!” He exclaimed, and before you could even say anything else he was already leaving the study room–like he thought you were going to change your mind if he mingled around any longer–swinging the door open with a whoosh of displaced air that carried a cool draft from the outer perimeter, stirring the papers on your table with a faint rustle.

———————

You had returned to the library that evening after your last class, the weight of your backpack a familiar burden on your shoulders as you pushed through the heavy doors, the transition from the biting chill outside to the enveloping warmth within sending a shiver across your skin. The air inside was thick with the timeless scent of aged books and polished wood, a comforting constant that wrapped around you like an old blanket. You claimed the same glass-walled study room that you had booked earlier in the week, the door clicking shut behind you to seal out the rest of the chaos that was now buzzing on the seventh floor–it was prime studying time so it was far more packed than that morning, with groups of people scattered around passing notes to one another.

Setting yourself up long before you expected Todd to make his appearance, you unpacked with methodical precision, the zipper of your bag rasping open like a sigh of resignation, spilling forth notebooks, highlighters, and your laptop onto the surface with dull thuds that echoed faintly in the soundproofed space. You decided that you were going to at least put in a little bit of time to study your other classes while you waited, as you flipped through your most recent pile of notes you had accumulated throughout the day.

Trying to get your mind off the fact that you were going to be tutoring a frat president of all people, you immersed yourself in the intricate diagrams you had drawn, the lines blurring slightly under your gaze as the interaction from that morning kept replaying in your mind like a looped reel–how he had switched up so quickly on you, his charm shifting from casual to calculated in the blink of an eye, how easily he had manipulated his way into getting you to say yes, his words coiling around your resolve like invisible vines. Even you were surprised that you had folded so easily for him. It was a testament to how he had a way with words, a silver-tongued finesse that disarmed and redirected, and while you felt frustrated at that–your cheeks warming at the recollection–you were slightly impressed by it, a reluctant admiration bubbling up like unexpected fizz in a flat drink; you wondered how many punishments he had evaded with that approach, how effortlessly he convinced people to align with him, how many times he deployed this strategy to bend situations to his will. It was sickening and fascinating all at the same time, a duality that left you unsettled, and made you trace your fingers absently along the edges of your notebook.

You found yourself totally lost in your thoughts, feeling your stomach twisting up into knots like a rope being pulled taut, because as much as you didn’t like the fact you felt guilty enough to say yes to Todd, you couldn’t help but have this obligation to help him, a compulsion that gnawed at you from within, its roots delving deep into the soil of your past. Maybe it was the residual Catholic generosity that you hadn’t fully purged from your system, a lingering echo of the doctrines that had once defined your every choice, now manifesting as an unwelcome tug on your conscience. And you damned it for existing in your mind still, because it weakened you in a way that was unexplainable, a vulnerability that left a hollow ache in your chest.

Your crisis of faith had crept in slowly over the last year, a quiet unraveling sparked by the people in your faith group–those who professed devotion yet freely broke the rules without a shred of guilt, living vibrantly while you had adhered to the Bible with an odd dedication most people didn’t have, weighing most decisions out on the scale of sin and virtue. They partied, dated without chaperones, indulged in the freedoms of the university experience, their laughter ringing like bells while you restrained yourself, always opting for the safer path, the one paved with caution rather than adventure, missing out on the messy, memorable experiences that carved out a normal life in people your age–late-night conversations that stretched into dawn, spontaneous trips with friends, the electric thrill of first kisses unburdened by dogma. The realization had hit like a cold wave: how much you had sacrificed in the name of piety, how the doctrines that once felt like guides now seemed to chain you up, stifling the curiosity and joy that bubbled just beneath your surface, leaving you with a sensation of emptiness. So you turned away from it all, yet it was still one of your worst inner battles that you faced.

You tried to pry yourself out of your thoughts, drawing your attention back to your notes, as you smoothed a creased corner on one of the sheets. You didn’t know how long you had just sat there, reading over whatever you could, trying to absorb something at least. You didn’t know how long you did this for, until you decided to look at your phone to check the time, the screen’s blue glow illuminating your face.

8:12

He was late, which automatically added another layer of regret over your head–like a cloak settling on your shoulders, its weight pressing down with the chill of disappointment–he was already taking advantage of your kindness, and that realization sent a sharp twinge through your gut, bitter and twisting like a knife's edge.

You sighed, slumping back into your chair, the cushioned seat yielding with a soft creak under your weight, the back of it reclining slightly as you let your head tilt towards the ceiling. Reaching up to the thin gold chain around your neck, you toyed with it absentmindedly, the metal links smooth and warmed by your skin, the dainty infinity cross pendant dangling between your fingers, its edges catching the light. As much as you may have pushed away your faith, you still couldn’t bear to part with the necklace your parents had gotten you as a graduation present, even though it was a symbol of the life you had once embraced so fully. It had turned into a fidget toy, one that you would bite or suck on when you didn’t have anything else around you to do so.

You pulled at the chain, feeling it digging into your skin with a subtle bite, as impatience began to claw at you, a restless itch crawling under your flesh, making your legs bounce beneath the table. The audacity Todd had in asking you for help then proceeding to be late befuddled you–how could someone who sounded so desperate to get their grade up be late for their first tutoring session, especially when the person was already reluctant to do the job in the first place? It was a ridiculous thought, but evidently it was becoming reality right in front of your eyes, as the time on your phone continued to tick forward without any reprieve.

And just as your thoughts were about to spiral down another rabbit hole you didn’t want to venture into, the door behind you swung open with a sudden jolt, displacing the air in a cool gust that brushed against the nape of your neck like an unexpected touch.

”Sorry I’m late. I got caught up in a meeting and I tried to wrap it up as fast as I could.” He explained quickly, as you let go of your chain and turned towards him, seeing how disheveled he was–his hair falling out of place in tousled waves that stuck to his temples, his cheeks reddened by the bitter weather that stung his skin with a rosy flush, and of course the contrasting sheen of sweat that lined his forehead, glistening under the room’s glow–while he closed the door behind him with a firm click and lock. You watched as he slipped his bag off his shoulder, pulling up the chair next to you.

“It’s fine…Just don’t let it happen again, cause next time I’ll lock you out and use the time for my own studies.” You warned, your voice steady but coasting with a quiet undertone of firmness. He gave you a small nod, his eyes roaming over you with a quiet intensity that sent an unexpected warmth to creep up your spine, noticing that you had changed since this morning–instead of the shorts and sweater combo, you were not in a simple white t-shirt that clung softly to your body, paired with a baggy pair of black cargo pants that were cinched at the waist, the fabric whispering softly as you shifted, practical yet unintentionally alluring in its relaxed fit.

He couldn’t help but linger on your form a little longer than intended, his gaze tracing the way the t-shirt’s cotton draped over your shoulder and chest, hinting at the softness beneath without revealing too much–Todd didn’t discriminate when it came to women, appreciating beauty in all its forms, and while you may have not been the most pleasant person in the world, judging by the sharpness from your first interaction, he had to admit, you were quite a sight to see, especially when you were being snippy with him, that fire in your eyes adding a spark of intrigue that made his pulse quicken just a fraction, a sensation like the first sip of strong coffee hitting his system.

He tore his gaze off you with deliberate effort, placing his bag on the table with a dull thud that echoed softly in the soundproofed space, flipping the lip open as he delved into the large storage compartment, rifling through the multiple folders he had meticulously organized for each of his classes–where he stored all his tests and essays, the plastic tabs labelled with precise handwriting that contrasted his chaotic scrawl within–going through them until he found the one for Stats.

“You’ll be well within your right to do that…But just know I would probably be sitting outside the door knocking until you open it.” He said jokingly, in an attempt to lighten the mood, his voice dipping into a teasing baritone that vibrated through the air with a warm hum, as he plucked the folder from his bag and set it down on the table with a soft slap before sitting next to you, the chair creaking under his weight, his presence suddenly closer, the subtle heat from his body radiating toward you like a gentle wave, mingling with the clean sandalwood of his cologne. You rolled your eyes, a reflexive gesture, and moved your chair forward so you were closer to the table, the wheels gliding smoothly over the carpet with a muffled whisper, reaching out to bring the folder into your field of vision, your fingers brushing the cool plastic cover, a slight static tingle dancing across your skin from the contact.

“In theory you may think that would work, but I would just call campus security on your ass and get you kicked out of the library.” You countered, flipping the cover open, revealing the first test from week two–one that he had scraped by with a 60%, the red ink marks stark against the white paper like accusatory scars, the professor’s notes scrawled in the margins, one on top of the other.

”Oh god.” You murmured under your breath, picking the package of papers up with a rustle, turning the cover page over to look at his work, the chicken scratch that he would call his handwriting leaving much to be desired–jagged lines and hurried loops that blurred together like a tangled web–but the little patches of red notes written off to the side were a telltale sign that while Todd may have been on the right track, grasping fragments of concepts with tentative understanding, he just wasn’t getting the content enough to actually earn full marks, missing crucial elements in his responses, the omissions glaring like gaps in a puzzle.

“Hey, come on, it’s not that bad.” He stated, watching as your eyes roamed over the page, wide and judgemental, like you were doing the questions in your head and correcting the work he had done without even picking up a pencil, your focus was so intense it sent a subtle thrill through him, the way your lips pursed slightly in concentration, and your eyes squinted every so often.

“It’s bad to me…And the handwriting doesn’t help either.” You commented under your breath, “I hope the other ones aren’t the same.” He hummed and kissed his teeth, the sound a sharp, playful click that echoed lightly, a mix of amusement and self-deprecation lacing the action.

“Well, unfortunately for you they are, the marks get slightly better though…Until the midterm at least.” He mumbled the last part, scratching the back of his neck with a casual drag of his fingers, his eye catching on the cross that glinted against your white shirt like a tiny beacon, the gold catching the light in a warm sparkle before he looked back up to your face, as you quickly flipped through the next pages with a series of soft whooshes, then sighed, ripping a sheet of paper from your notebook with a clean tear, sliding it in front of him across the tables smooth surface.

“Guess we’ll start with correcting this test then…If you wouldn’t mind, could you at least make your writing a little neater so I can efficiently help you, rather than waste my time trying to dissect what you wrote?” He gave you a nod, and reached into his bag to grab a pencil out from one of the pockets.

”Will do.” He replied, watching as you flipped back to the first page of the test package and placed it in front of him with a gentle push.

”Take into account the notes Professor Davis has left you, and try to do something different with your answer, I’ll check it once you’re done.” He adjusted himself on his seat, the chair creaking faintly under his shifting weight as he settled in, taking his phone out of his jean pocket, unlocking it with a quick swipe and placing it beside the sheet of paper. He looked over the question you had told him to do, his eyes roaming over the printed text once, twice, absorbing the words like a strategist, then he began to write slowly on the spare sheet. He was taking his time, glancing over the original answer after every line he wrote, his gaze flicking back and forth like a pendulum, making sure he wasn’t replicating something similar, using his phone as a calculation because he forgot the one he usually brought with him to class.

You looked away from him, flipping open your own notebook, dicing into some of your own study materials for your other classes, needing a distraction from the magnetic pull of staring at him. Every so often you heard his writing speed picking up, the pencil’s scratches accelerating into hurried cadence before abruptly slowing down, like he was stopping himself from going too quickly, because he was trying to show you that he was a good listener.

You crossed your legs, the soft fabric of your cargo pants brushing against itself with a hushed sound, leaning backwards against your chair as it molded to your spine with a gentle give. As you twiddled with the cross pendant again, you read through your class notes, the words flowing in familiar patterns across the page, knowing that within a few days you had a test that you would need to be prepared for, and any review time was useful even though you’d be interrupted at some point.

Todd couldn’t help but look out of the corner of his eye, his peripheral vision catching the subtle movement, seeing the way you tilted the pendant toward you lips and bit down on the tip of the crucifix, the light tapping of your teeth against the metal echoing faintly through the room like a distant metronome, a sound that sent an unexpected jolt through him. He couldn’t help but pause his writing in those moments, the pencil hovering mid-air as his breath caught slightly, seeing you suck gently with absent focus, the motion innocent yet absolutely captivating, before flipping to the next page of your notes with a soft rustle, adjusting your position so you settled even into your seat. He cleared his throat, the sound a rough rasp that broke the silence, bringing his eyes back to the sheet of paper in front of him, refocusing his mind on the question and not the image of your lips wrapping around the holy relic you wore, resuming his writing.

A few moments later he finally put his pencil down, and sighed, the exhalation heavy with a mix of frustration and slight accomplishment, which gained your attention immediately, pulling you from your notes like a hook tugging at a line.

“Finished?” You asked, letting the cross drop from your mouth, and he nodded–not wanting to speak just in case his voice cracked due to the dryness that plagued his throat, a parched sensation like sandpaper scraping his vocal cords–sliding the sheet over to you with a gentle push. Slowly, you plucked it from the table and stared at his handwriting, at the process he had written out with careful precision, at the formula he had used to derive his response, the lines neat and calculated compared to his original scrawl. He saw the way your cheek thinned slightly, as you nibbled on the inside of it with your teeth, hollowing your features just enough to reveal your concentration, like you were trying to make out what he did.

“You used the wrong formula.” You pointed out, making him turn fully so he was facing you completely, the chair swivelling with a low groan. A look of confusion appeared on his face, and his brows furrowed, drawing faint lines across his forehead.

”I what?” He questioned, and you turned the page to him, tapping on the top part of his response with your fingertip, the nail clicking softly against the paper.

”You used the formula for sample standard deviations…When you’re supposed to be using the population standard one…” You explained, picking up his pencil and writing down the correct formula for him with swift, elegant strokes, “Professor Davis always tries to throw us off with the wording in the question, so you have to pay attention to that.” You warned, circling the formula with a decisive loop and writing a short explanation as to why you would use it, along with keywords to look out for within a question that would signal for him to use that specific one.

”So basically he really does want us to fail.” Todd commented, as a small laugh escaped you, light and unexpected, bubbling up from your chest.

“No…He just wants to weed out the weak students.” You corrected, passing him back the paper, “Try it again, but use the correct formula this time…See if you get it right.” You instructed, before picking your notebook back up again and returning to your previous position, glancing over at him briefly as he grabbed his pencil and began writing again, the scratch resuming with a focused intensity.

He was absolutely hopeless in your eyes. If he couldn’t even understand the difference between why you would use specific formulas for certain questions you would need to start right from the beginning to get him up to speed properly, which only meant that you would need to spend even more time with I’m, far more than thirty minutes a night at least, and he would probably need to sacrifice a weekend for you to truly get him to understand the concepts.

The thought alone filled you with dread, a heavy weight settling in your stomach like lead, and all you wanted to do at that point was back out of the arrangement, the words hovering on the tip of your tongue like unspoken regrets, but then you looked at him, seeing the way he was actually focused on what he was doing, his brow furrowed in genuine concentration, like he was trying to understand and it just wasn’t connecting for him yet, you saw the struggle in his eyes, the way they roamed over his writing repeatedly with a determined glint pausing to erase a line, before adding something else and typing in a calculation on his phone with quick taps.

You reasoned with yourself for a moment, thinking about how much time you truly needed to study for your other classes, the mental calendar unfolding in your mind like a well-organized map, how you could rearrange things so you would be able to work with him properly without sacrificing your own marks, and it was feasible, but knowing Todd, there would be scheduling conflicts. God only knew how many events KNA had within the next couple of weeks–school or non-school related respectively–though you weren’t going to be the one to ask about it. You would offer more time to him but at the end of the day the ball would be in his court when it came to making it work.

——————

A week later, the two of you had settled into a tentative rhythm, the study sessions weaving themselves into the fabric of your evenings like threads pulled tight on a loom, binding your disparate worlds with an unexpected familiarity that neither of you had anticipated.

Todd would arrive at 8:30 every evening, the revised time being a pragmatic olive branch you had extended after the first tardy encounter–a buffer to accommodate the whirlwind of his fraternity obligations, the endless cascade of KNA meetings that bled into plannings for future pledge events, the hurried phone calls coordinating house logistics, all of which left him scrambling to gather his scattered notes and textbooks before trekking across campus to the library’s seventh floor. It made sense, this concession; it spared you the frustration of waiting, and it allowed him a moment to catch his breath, to shed the authoritative skin of frat president and slip into the role of an earnest student.

Little had evolved in the core mechanics of your sessions though; you led with a steady hand and guided him with a pace attuned to his learning curve–taking it slow when concepts tangled in his mind and accelerating when a spark of comprehension lit his features. You had become adept at reading his subtle tells: the faint tightening around his eyes when things eluded him; the way his fingers would drum a restless rhythm against the tables edge, displaying the frustration simmering beneath his composed exterior; or the subtle lean forward when clarity dawned, wafting the scent of his cologne across the narrow space between you.

In return for the time you were giving him, he’d often materialize with a chilled energy drink clutched in his hand, a silent acknowledgement of your shared vice for sweetness–gleaned from the countless times he had watched you eat a multitude of sour keys. Surprisingly, the addiction had rubbed off on him when you introduced them as a reward for correct answers, a Pavlovian cue that gave him positive reinforcements, instead of lavishing him with verbal accolades that might inflate his already formidable ego.

Occasionally, the sessions would drift off-script, the deviations almost invariably ignited by him, coiling around the conversation and pulling it into uncharted waters. Yet, you had come to tolerate–perhaps even subtly relish–these detours, the way they broke the monotony of formulas and data sets, injecting a pulse of human connection into the sterile air of the room. It struck you as peculiar, this role you’d assumed as confidante to the president of KNA, a man whose orbit was typically filled with sycophants and reelers, yet who seemed to crave the friction you provided–a measured challenge that pushed back against his narratives without fully dismantling them. You would do this to an extent, your responses laced with skepticism when he’d spin tales of Greek life that you couldn’t fully fathom. He knew you didn’t grasp the concept, but he would press on undeterred, his eyes on yours with an intent that felt like a bid for some sort of alliance, as if each divulged secret was a pebble tossed into the pond of your goodwill, rippling outward in hopes of drawing you closer.

Your defenses held firm, your standoffishness surfacing only when he ventured too close to your personal life–queries about your weekends beyond the grind of labs and lectures or oddly pinpointed probes that hinted at him knowing a little too much. Those types of questions would hang in the air like baited hooks, fishing for more information to validate his assumptions that he had somehow pieced together, though you had volunteered nothing deeper than superficial trivia. You’d parry his questions with evasive grace, your answers curt and opaque, a wall of polite deflection that left him probing the edges without breaking through, even as a flicker of intrigue–and faint wariness–stirred in your chest, wondering at the source of his intel.

Unbeknownst to you, however, you’d begun to infiltrate Todd’s existence with the subtlety of ivy creeping over stone walls, your essence lingering in his thoughts long after he left the library and he retreated back to the raucous energy of the KNA house. You had captivated him in ways he hadn’t anticipated, your demeanour a tantalizing paradox: the firmness in your corrections, delivered with a crisp edge that commanded respect, yet undercut by a vein of reluctant yielding, as if you were a wayward lamb drawn inexorably to the shepherd’s call, resisting yet following in the end.

He would find his mind wandering to you in unguarded moments–the clamor of a frat meeting fading as he recalled the way you’d fidget in your chair, your thighs pressing together with a soft, frictioned whisper of fabric, a restless adjustment that hinted at deeper unrest; or how you would absentmindedly toy with that necklace, the chain’s delicate links catching the light as you drew the crucifix to your lips, sucking with a gentle, rhythmic pull that evoked forbidden liturgies, the metal warming against your tongue in an act of unwitting sensuality.

Those images seared into his psyche, innocent vignettes he’d warp in the privacy of his mind into fevered reveries: your lips, glossed and parted from your saliva’s sheen, or chapped and tender after the citric acid from your sour keys burned them, the faint cracks begging for a touch to soothe–or exploit. You embodied forbidden fruit to him, ripe and presumably untouched, a vessel he could shatter with a single, calculated advance. The temptation clawed at him in fleeting surges, a primal urge to discard the mask of affable pupil and unveil the dominant undercurrent you had only heard rumours of–the control, the intensity that simmered beneath. But he restrained it with a tight leash, recognizing that your untarnished view of him–as the redeemable striver–served his ambitions far better, even though holding back left him with unspent energy, like a shepherd savouring the power of guiding his lamb without devouring it whole.

He sensed your pliability beneath the protests, and he knew you would yield if he prodded just so–your concessions in the face of his favours or questions, the way you’d huff and debate before capitulating, your voice softening like wax under heat, giving in to him just because. He attributed it to the vestiges of your faith, that doctrinal imprint of obedience to higher authority, casting you as the submissive, his presence exuding a subtle dominion that you instinctively deferred to, even if unconsciously. It infused him with a heady blend of unease and exhilaration, the power dynamic a double-edged blade that pricked at his conscience yet thrilled his core, affirming that in this fragile pact, he perpetually held the reins, the upper hand a quiet assurance.

Tonight, under the study room’s unwavering fluorescent hum, he found himself ensnared once more, his gaze drifting to you as you meticulously reviewed the practice set you had assigned him earlier, your pen dancing across the page in fluid arcs, inscribing small little corrections and annotations in the margins with the precision of an illuminator gilding a sacred text–notes that would serve as his compass for the upcoming chapter, their ink blooming like revelations against the paper’s pale expanse. The crucifix was nestled between your lips, cradled but not actively nursed, its gold form a talisman against your teeth, the faint metallic tang you must’ve tasted grounding you amid the task.

Your legs jittered beneath the table, a ceaseless bob that sent micro-vibrations through the floor, your restlessness a stark anomaly against your usual poised serenity, as if an internal tempest churned just below the surface, manifesting in the subtle quiver of your calves and the faint rustle of your sweatpants’ fabric. As you marked, your phone erupted in a symphony of buzzes, notifications cascading like insistent rain against a windowpane–one after another in rapid succession, the screen flaring with ephemeral light that casted fleeting shadows across your features, a barrage so prolific at 11:05 PM that it piqued his surprise; even his own device, perpetually besieged by the group chat he had for the frat house and social pings, rarely matched this frenzy.

Curiosity gnawed at him, a temptation to inquire bubbling up like steam from a kettle, but he quashed it, knowing your barriers would rise like fortified gates; instead, he lingered in patient vigil, waiting for you to conclude his review.

You leaned back and sighed, the breath escaping in a soft, cathartic rush that eased the tension from your shoulders, the necklace tumbling free to nestle against your chest, the pendant adhering to the warm, dewy expanse of your exposed skin that your tank top bared. A small smile bloomed on your lips, tentative yet authentic, curving like the gentle arc of a crescent moon as you perused the page once more, your eyes tracing his progress with a quiet nod of approval before extending the papers back to him.

“Much better…I just put some reminders on the side for you to add to your own notes.” You explained, watching him take the papers from your hands with a deliberate gentleness, his fingertips grazing yours in a contact that sent a warmth blooming through your skin. He set the stack back down on the table with a soft patter, the sheets aligning neatly beside his own notebook, the fresh ink of your additions glistening faintly under the lights, small arrows and starred phrases standing out like guiding stars. You dragged his textbook toward you, the heavy binding sliding across with a muted scrape, as you flipped to the next practice chapter. Your pencil descended with precise intent, circling three problems in looping strokes, the graphite leaving silvery trails in the process.

“These ones will probably be a little more difficult,” You warned, pushing the book back to him with a firm yet careful nudge, the volume gliding smoothly until it rested before him. You held the pencil out for him to take, feeling the heat of his fingers slide along yours in the exchange–a lingering brush that ignited a shiver up your arm like a cascade of cool sparks, making the fine hairs stand on end in a prickling symphony that danced along your nerves, your skin tingling as if brushed by an invisible feather.

Once he was settled, and his posture shifted with a subtle creak of the chair, completely immersing himself in the task, you immediately reached for your phone, and leaned back, returning your necklace to your mouth. Todd glanced down at the questions briefly, his eyes tracing the intricate webs of variables and conditions with a measured scrutiny. But then he peeked over at you, his gaze drawn magnetically to the fluid motion of your thumb scrolling along the screen in rhythmic sweeps, the device’s glow painting your features in soft, ethereal blues and silvers–until you suddenly stopped, a visible cringe etching across your expression, your lips twisting in a fleeting wince that pulled at the corners of your mouth, your brows furrowing in a delicate knot of distaste.

“What’s with the face? Did you get 100% instead of 101 or something?” He joked, his voice dipping into a playful cadence that sliced through the quiet like a warm current through still water, laced with that effortless charisma that always seemed to disarm, the sound making you flinch slightly, a subtle jolt that rippled through your shoulders, surprised that he wasn’t absorbed in the questions you had just laid before him, his attention instead pivoting to you with an intensity that felt both probing and oddly intimate.

You felt a wave of heat overtaking your from your chest, a flush that surged like molten lava bubbling up from deep within, racing up your neck in a tingling rush that prickled like tiny embers against your skin and crowding the apples of your cheeks with a warmth that burned beneath the surface, as if your body were betraying the composure you held. Hastily, you locked your phone with a swift press, the screen fading to black with a faint electronic click, and placed it face down on the table, the cool glass meeting the surface with a muffled thud that echoed your reluctance.

“No…Just stupid guys,” You murmured, the honesty slipping out in a hushed tone that carried a blend of exasperation and reluctant candor, your voice barely threading through the air, the admission hanging between you like an unintended revelation. The reply caught Todd off guard for a moment, his posture straightening slightly with a tension that evaded his muscles, a flicker of surprise widening his eyes as he raised his brows, the arch a silent question mark etched on his features.

You hadn’t mentioned anything about talking to other guys before, not that it was territory he had claim over, of course, but the mere whisper of you dipping into the turbulent seas of the dating scene made his stomach stir with an unwelcomed churn, a knot twisting low and insistent in his belly. Was it jealousy or fear for you, he didn’t know, but he held himself in check, reining in the surge of feelings with a measured breath, his expression smoothing into one of feigned nonchalance.

“What’re they doing?” He pressed, keeping his tone even, masking the edge he swallowed back like a bitter fraught. He put the pencil down slowly, the wood clatter softly against the table with a delicate tap, turning himself toward you fully, the chair pivoting with a groan that filled the space, giving you his undivided attention–a focused beam that enveloped you like a spotlight, which only made you tear your eyes away from his, your gaze darting to the notes on the table.

”Being stupid,” You said simply, the words clipped and evasive, a verbal barrier erected with quiet finality, your fingers drumming a soft rhythm on the table, the faint taps a tactile distraction amid the mounting pressure. He shook his head, a subtle motion that sent a stray piece of hair tumbling across his forehead, holding his hand out to you, palm up in an open gesture that invited compliance, motioning for you to surrender the phone, his fingers curling slightly in encouragement.

“Let me be the judge of that,” He commented, his voice dipping into a coaxing timbre, smooth and persuasive, laced with a hint of challenge that danced on playfulness, his eyes locking onto yours with a spark of mischief that belied the deeper currents swirling beneath. You felt your eyebrows immediately raise at his words, arching in a reflexive curve of incredulity, a disbelieving laugh escaping you before you could contain it–a light incredulous trill that bubbled from your throat like effervescent springs, easing the knot of warmth just a fraction as you shook your head, moving the phone further away from him with a small slide.

”I’m not letting you go through my conversations Todd, that’s a ridiculous request and you know it,” You shot back, the words standing as a resolute boundary, unyielding, as you crossed your arms over your chest, the fabric of your tank top and hoodie shifting with a soft rustle, “And anyways, I’m pretty sure you won’t be able to solve the issue, when you probably do the same thing as these bozos,” You added under your breath, the murmur carrying a wry sting, a jab that lingered in the air like a faint echo of a distant bell–those were definitely fighting words. Todd scoffed, a short exhale that vibrated with a mix of feigned offense and genuine intrigue.

”Now I really need to know what they’re doing if you have the gull to group me in with them,” He countered, his words laced with a mock indignation that masked the curiosity that bit into his senses, his posture leaning forward just a touch more, closing the gap incrementally. You let out a frustrated sigh, the breath escaping in a drawn-out whoosh, shaking your head.

”Can’t we just drop it?” You asked, your voice softening into a plea, “You should be studying anyways, not wasting your time pressing me about my Tinder messages and the idiots I matched with.” Todd let out a laugh, rich and resonant, the sound cascading from him, as he moved closer to you with a fluid grace that narrowed the space between your chairs even further, his presence now a tangible warmth that enveloped you, his knee brushing against yours under the table before settling there completely.

”You brought it up, I think it’s only fair if you elaborate…” Todd’s voice trailed off with a teasing edge, low and smooth, sending a shiver down your spine despite the room’s overwhelming heat. He leaned in closer, his chair creaking softly under his weight, making you catch the scent of his sweet, minty aftershave, that clouded your senses in an almost intoxicating haze that made each breath feel heavier in your chest.

“I didn’t really bring it up,” You retorted, your voice emerging steadier than you felt, as you leaned back from him slightly, creating a scant inch of distance that did little to dull the tension, “You asked about my face, and I gave you a vague answer. That’s not an invitation to pry.” He shook his head slowly, the motion unhurried, a low hum vibrating from his throat–a resonant sound, warm and teasing.

”No, no…See, you ended up dragging me into this by saying I’m just like the guys who are messaging you, which is the key reason why I’m prying,” He corrected, each word rolling out like he was building a case against you, holding your gaze with an intensity that pinned you in place, his blue eyes unwavering, reflecting the room’s fluorescents. “I think I have a right to know who the hell I’m being compared to,” He added, his knee pressing more insistently against yours now, the contact firm through the layers of fabric, the heat from his skin seeping into yours.

You took in a deep breath, the air filling your lungs with a cool rush that did little to steady the flutter in your chest, and rolled your eyes. Grabbing your phone off the table with a swift motion, you unlocked it with a quick glance and tossed it over to him, watching as he caught it with effortless reflexes, his fingers closing around it quickly. A part of you marveled at how easily you had capitulated, the surrender feeling both liberating and treacherous, like stepping off a ledge into unknown depths.

“Fine, be my guest,” You said, crossing your arms over your chest with a firm fold, the soft cotton of your tank top bunching slightly against your skin, accidentally granting him a peek of your white lace bra, as you leaned back in your chair. You avoided looking at him directly, your gaze drifting to the table, while he brought your phone up to his leering eyes, the screen’s light casting ethereal shadows across the sharp planes of his face.

You heard his thumb tap on the screen, a series of soft, rhythmic noises that echoed in the quiet, punctuating the moment with an almost hypnotic cadence, and there was a suspended silence that stretched taut between you, heavy with anticipation–before he let out a little laugh, a short, amused burst that bubbled from his chest, easing the tension just a fraction while igniting a spark of defensiveness in your stomach.

”Okay…So you got a few dick pics…You’re on Tinder, what did you expect to get out of this? A husband?” He asked, looking over at you with a raised brow, his tone laced with a teasing lilt that danced on the edge of mockery, seeing the way your brows furrowed in response, drawing faint lines across your forehead, your lips pressing into a thin line of irritation.

”Husband? No! I’m just trying to get myself back into the dating scene for Christ’s sake,” You exclaimed, the words bursting forth with a mix of frustration and earnestness, your voice rising slightly in pitch as you reached over to snatch the phone out of his hands, your arm extending in a swift arc–only for him to pull it away with a playful dodge, the motion drawing you forward unexpectedly, making you lean over him, your hand bracing on his thigh for balance. The softness of his dress pants registered beneath your fingertips, the fabric smooth like finely woven silk, shifting under your touch as the muscle tensed and relaxed, sending an unbidden warmth spreading up your arm like ink bleeding through paper.

”You’re looking in the wrong places…I’m pretty sure if you went out to one of the bars on campus or even joined clubs other than something that could resemble a discount Christian Mingle, you’d get somewhere,” He pointed out, looking down at you with a smirk draped on his lips, the curve of his mouth both infuriating and magnetic, his thigh flexing again deliberately like he was acknowledging your precarious positioning without verbalizing it.

You felt your jaw drop open for a moment, the hinge loosening in stunned disbelief as a rush of cool air brushed your parted lips, the revelation hitting you like a sudden gust, before you pushed off of him to sit upright, the abrupt motion sending a faint hint of dizziness spinning through your vision, a swirling haze that blurred the edges of the room for a heartbeat, your hand lingering with the phantom warmth of his thigh even as you withdrew.

”…Are you talking about Faith Group?” You asked, confused, the words tumbling out in a breathy rush, caught off guard by how effortless he’d unearthed a fragment of your past you’d never once alluded to in your conversations–and how causally he had wielded it, like a card pulled from a hidden deck.

“What else would I be talking about?” He shot back, letting out a small laugh that resonated with a mix of amusement and something sharper, seeing the way you tensed up a bit, your shoulder drawing inward slightly as if bracing against an invisible chill.

”I don’t know but…I never mentioned that I was part of that…I also haven’t even attended a meeting in a year, so I have no clue how you would know about it in general,” You replied, noticing him adjust in his seat with a subtle shift, as he transferred your phone from one hand to the other, his palm enveloping the device with casual possession, taking in the newfound information that hinted at a fracture in your once-unwavering devotion–perhaps a crisis of faith or the dawning realization of how confining strict adherence to scripture could feel.

He let out a little, awkward laugh, the sound tinged with a conscious edge that softened his features momentarily, before returning his knee to yours again, the steady pressure a silent insistence on maintaining that thread of physical connection.

“How do you think I found you or knew who you were? I just looked up your name and scrolled, and found a photo of you in your faith group sweater. I assumed you were still in it since you’re always wearing that cross of yours,” He stated, motioning to the chain with a casual flick of his chin, the gesture drawing your eye to the subtle play of light on his jawline, watching as you automatically raised your hand to touch the pendant, your fingers closing around the warm metal in a reflexive grasp, bewildered by what he had just said and how he delivered it–like stalking someone’s digital footprint was as mundane as checking the weather, the nonchalance sending a ripple of unease through you, mingling with a curious thrill at being so thoroughly observed.

”Well I’m not…But now I feel like I need to find a way to wipe that information off the internet too,” You commented quietly, squeezing the cross in your palm with a firm pressure, feeling its sharp edges digging into your flesh like tiny barbs, the faint sting a grounding reminder amid the whirlwind of exposure, the metal warming further against your skin as if absorbing your agitation.

”Why? Are you ashamed of your beliefs?” He asked, pressing you with a tilt of his head, his tone almost teasing, yet layered with a deeper probe, something challenging that hung in the air like an unspoken dare, his eyes narrowing slightly in curiosity, searching your face for cracks in your composure.

“I wouldn’t be wearing the necklace if I was ashamed, I’m just not a devout follower anymore, that’s it,” You said sternly, the words emerging with a point that brooked no further debate, hoping the firmness would steer him away from the tender territory, but Todd was far too intrigued now, the revelation sparking a hunger for more, to peel back the layers you were guarding, unwilling to let the subject dissolve into the ether so swiftly.

”What caused that?” He questioned, keeping the pressure on you with unwavering persistence, his voice dropping to a softer, more intimate register that wrapped around you like a confessional veil, seeing the way your eyes glanced away from him momentarily, a fleeting evasion before returning, your jaw clenching in a subtle flex of muscle that betrayed the internal storm brewing beneath your calm facade.

”Why do you want to know?” You countered, looking back at him with a direct stare that held a spark of defiance, watching the tip of his tongue run over his bottom lip in a slow sweep, wetting the flesh there with a subtle sheen of saliva that caught the light, the gesture both absent and intention, drawing your gaze for a heartbeat longer than intended.

For a moment, Todd considered telling you the truth, the raw, unfiltered confession bubbling just beneath the surface–admitting that hearing about your crisis of faith, or at least your deliberate turning away from it, ignited a fiercer desire within him, transforming you from untouchable sanctity to something tantalizingly attainable. You were no longer forbidden fruit, shrouded in divine prohibition; you were just fruit, lush and ripened under the sun, begging to be plucked, and the absence of celestial repercussions meant he could indulge without the phantom weight of judgement looming overhead, no thunderbolt from an angry deity to strike him down for corrupting one of His dearly devoted lambs.

But he wasn’t going to voice that aloud, not yet–not when you teetered on the precipice of opening up. Honesty like that would shatter all the progress, so instead, he offered a half-truth, a veiled deflection wrapped in casual intrigue.

”Because I’m curious…” He stated, his voice a low murmur that resonated through the air, leaning in a bit more. You could feel the warmth of his breath fanning lightly over your face, a gentle caress that carried the artificial tang of fruit from the energy drink he had been sipping on earlier–sweet and synthetic, like overripe berries preserved in syrup–mingling with the crispness of mint that lingered from his gum, invading your nostrils in a heady wave that made your head swim slightly, each inhale pulling you deeper into his proximity.

His eyes roamed over you unabashedly, tracing the rise and fall of your chest beneath the thin fabric of your tank top, and the way your fingers absently ran over the crucifix in your grasp. You dragged your teeth along your bottom lip in a nervous graze, the pressure catching a flake of dry skin and tearing it free with a sting–a tiny rupture that drew a bead of blood to the surface, the metallic, coppery flavour blooming instantly on the tip of your tongue, overpowering the mingled scents of his breath in a rush that grounded you amid the swirling intensity of the moment, the faint warmth of the droplet trickling just before you licked it away.

As much as you wanted to evade the topic entirely, to redirect the conversation back to the safety of the work that was sprawled out across the table, you still found yourself yielding once more to Todd’s persistent line of questioning, the words spilling out like a reluctant confession, your voice softening.

”Well…Let’s just say I realized there was no point in believing in something that had so many restrictions…” You replied, the simplicity of the statement belying everything that was racing inside your head, a quiet unravelling that echoed the faint ache in your lip from the bite. The revelation trudged up yet another cascade of inquiries in Todd’s mind, his thoughts racing–there must’ve been a catalyst, a pivotal spark that ignited that epiphany, shutting the facade of a faith you had likely clung to for your entire life, and now the hunger for those details clawed at him, craving the full mosaic of your disillusionment.

Before he could formulate the next probe, however, you seized the reins, steering the dialogue away from the vulnerable underbelly of your past with a swift pivot that cut through the tension like a cool breeze dispersing fog.

”Now can you give me my phone back please?” You asked, motioning to his hand where the device was clutched firmly, looking almost comically small enveloped by his thick, long fingers–pale and elegant, the nails impeccably manicured with a sheen that spoke of meticulous care, as if he visited the salon weekly to maintain that balance of rugged playfulness and polished sophistication that defined his aesthetic. You shouldn’t have been surprised; it aligned seamlessly with his groom persona, but it drew your gaze nonetheless, your eyes tracing the prominent veins that mapped the back of his hand. They winded gracefully up his forearm, bursting out into different pathways that went all the way up to the ditch of his elbow and disappeared beneath the rolled sleeves of his light blue dress shirt, pulsing beneath the translucent paleness of his skin with each flex of his grip. The sight stirred you, a fleeting warmth blooming low in your belly before you wrenched your focus away, lifting your eyes back to his face as he nodded, extending the phone toward you with a casual grace.

“Thank you,” You muttered, taking the device from him with a quick grasp, your fingers brushing his in the exchange, before unlocking it once more, the screen’s glow illuminating your features in a soft halo. You cringed again at the unsolicited nude that greeted you, the image stark and intrusive, the man’s brazen display evoking a twist of disgust in your gut like milk curdling, and with a swift tap, you unmatched him, the action a small but satisfying purge that cleared the digital slate.

“Y’know…With the context of your faith I’m kind of understanding why you cringed at that photo…” Todd was bolder now, his tone laced with a teasing undercurrent that flowed like silk, as if the one-sided heart-to-heart you’d just navigated had unlocked a new level of familiarity, granting him license to prod at the edges of your discomfort with a playful jab that carried an edge of provocation.

The comment made you snap your head toward him, your neck pivoting with a subtle crack that echoed faintly in the quiet room, your eyebrows raising in a sharp arch of surprise, the insinuation landing like a punch to your chest.

”I’ve seen a dick before, Todd…I’m not that prudish,” You admitted quietly, the words slipping out in a hushed murmur that barely disturbed the heavy air between you, your voice laced with a defensiveness that felt brittle, like thin ice cracking under the pressure of a foot.

The confession hung there, vulnerable and exposed, sending a fresh wave of heat crawling up your neck, prickling your skin as if invisible fingers were tracing fiery paths along it, the room’s fluorescent glow suddenly feeling too harsh, and too revealing. The sudden shyness enveloping the subject matter painted your features in a soft haze, your eyes darting away to the scattered notes strewn about the table, and Todd couldn’t help but notice it, as a smug smile curled onto his face. You brought your eyes back to his, seeing the hint of mischief playing up behind his irises, eager to fan the flames as he leaned into your clamoring hesitation.

”Hate to break it to you sweetheart, but I’m pretty sure only seeing one dick in your life makes you at least a little prudish…” The nickname rolled off his tongue like a caress, smooth and far too intimate for the relationship the two of you had, landing in your stomach with a lurch that felt like a jar of moths had been shattered open, their wings flapping wildly against your insides, stirring every nerve into a frenzy of chaos the trudges up a nauseous swirl in their wake, your pulse quickening in your throat as if it was trying to escape the confines of your body.

Your lashes fluttered at the comment, a reflexive veil against the intensity of his gaze, and you could feel your cheeks heating up even more, the temperature rising like sunlight focused through a magnifying glass, burning beneath the surface in a way that made you hope desperately that he didn’t notice the mosaic of embarrassment blooming across your face, your fingers twitching slightly as if seeking something to anchor them.

“Alright…This conversation is done, it’s time to get back to studying,” You concluded, your voice firm but edged with a tremor you couldn’t quiet suppress, trying to sever the thread of the topic before it unravelled your further, the words a desperate pivot back to the main reason why the both of you were in this study room in the first place.

You didn’t want to delve into this with Todd, you didn’t want to unearth the buried truths of your inexperience, forged in the fires of a devout past that had left you adrift in a sea of people who navigated intimacy with effortless grace–your single encounter was something that barely qualified, a fumbling exploration that left more questions than fulfillment, making you feel out of sync, like a clock ticking in a different rhythm. The mere thought sent a restless itch crawling under your skin, a sensation like fine sand shifting beneath your clothes, uncomfortable, insistent and everywhere, urging you to move in your spot, the chair cushion squeaking.

“Oh c’mon, you can’t ruin my fun now…” He teased, his knee bumping against yours with a deliberate nudge that sent a jolt of warmth radiating up your thigh, the contact lingering like an unspoken claim, firm through the barriers of fabric. He shifted closer, his body now invading your personal space in a way that felt both calculated and intoxicating, like he was weaving an invisible net to keep you within arm’s reach, relishing the proximity.

You could sense his enjoyment in it–the way his eyes sparkled with an unfamiliar gleam that bordered on predatory, delighting in how it made you squirm subtly, like a restless energy was coiling in your muscles that needed release. He glanced down at the cross momentarily, his gaze tracing the gold pendant that shimmered with the slightly shaky breaths you were taking when you turned your body to face him more squarely, the metal catching the light in fleeting glints that danced like tiny stars against your skin and over the mounds of your breasts, before he lifted his eyes back to yours, locking on with an intensity that pinned you in place.

”I can and I will,” You retorted, the words slicing through the space with a steely resolve, though the edge was blunted by the undercurrent of unease, your voice carrying a faint quiver like a leaf trembling in a storm. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” You tried to infuse your tone with stern authority, but the nervousness encircling the mere whisper of sexual experience made it waver, a crack in the facade that you were trying to put up. It beamed from you in micro-expressions: the faint furrow deepening between your brows like a shadow, the way your lips pressed together tightly, and the restless tap of your foot beneath the table.

”Why? Because you’re embarrassed that you’re a virgin?” He pressed, his voice dropping to a provocative whisper that slivered through the air, baiting you to fracture the composed mask you’d hastily reconstructed, his words hanging heavy with a challenge that dared you to unravel. At the mere mention of virginity, a deeper heat flowed through your body, a wildfire through dry brush, melting your resolve into a liquid warmth that pooled in your veins, turning your insides to a churning mush of embarrassment.

The fact that you were even skirting the edges of such a conversation–and succumbing to his taunt–boggled your mind, a dizzying whirl of confusion that made your thoughts spin, but it only intensified because it was with Todd Stevens of all people, the campus enigma, yet here you were compelled to counter his assumption, to shatter the image he held, as if proving yourself to him carried an inexplicable weight, a desire to impress that bloomed unbidden, warm and insistent against your better judgement.

“I'm not a virgin!” You exclaimed, the declaration erupting from your chest with a force that surprised even you, your voice rising in a crescendo that cut through the room instantly, carrying a blend of indignation and raw truth that left your lips tingling with the aftershock. Your breath came in shallow bursts as if the words had stolen the air from your lungs, the admission echoing in your ears like a confession said into an empty confessional booth, feeling the way your heart was hammering through your ribs in a frantic rhythm that shook your frame.

The look in Todd’s eyes was unreadable to you, a mysterious veil that masked whether he was genuinely shocked by your sharp snap or surprised that you had divulged something so intimate with such minimal prodding, his gaze holding a depth that made your pulse quicken, like peering into a still pond only to sense unseen currents swirling beneath.

Regardless, it cracked open a door for him to press further, and though he could see your growing shyness–the way your posture was slowly tensing up, and how your fingers twisted in your lap–he refused to release you from the hook he caught you on, not when he held the reins of the conversation firmly, the possibilities unfurling in his mind like silken threads waiting to ensnare, each one promising to draw you deeper into his web.

“You know fantasies don’t count, right?” He asked mockingly, the words laced with a playful scorn that swiped at the air like a challenge, taking in the way your eyes widened in a flicker of annoyance, the surprise blooming across your features, your breath catching in your throat with a soft hitch amid the sting of the accusation.

“I’m being serious…” You insisted, your voice steady, a plea woven into the syllables as you watched him lean back in his chair nonchalantly, spreading his legs slightly, pressing into your knee even more, while he crossed his arms over his chest in a slow motion that pulled the striped tie taut against the crisp collar of his shirt, the fabric bunching. His button-up strained over his biceps, the seams whispering a protest as the muscles flexed beneath, and for a brief unbidden second, your gaze lingered on the way they shifted, the play of strength that sent an unexpected warmth fluttering low in your abdomen, like embers stirring in a dying fire, before you forced your eyes away.

“Alright…Spill the details then,” He countered, holding out his hand with a casual sweep, palm up as if he was offering you a stage to speak, his fingers extended in invitation, the faint callouses on his skin catching the light.

”Excuse me?” The shock infused your voice, echoing softly in the confirmed space, feeling your heart catching before kickstarting again and picking up speed–so much so that you could hear it in your ears, thumping over and over again, pulsing through your temples. The demand left you momentarily breathless, feeling another wave of heat creeping beneath your skin, the blood rushing to your chest, and neck, travelling all the way up to your face. It felt like the sun was inside you, burning your nerves and overtaking your mind in a blazing haze.

”You say you’re not a virgin…So…Tell me about your first time, I want to know about it,” He doubled down, explaining it with a matter-of-fact simplicity that bordered on audacious, like probing for such intimate details was as ordinary as asking for the time. The words twisted in your gut, and you couldn’t help but think that he wanted to hear the details so that he could pick apart the story, to catch you in what he assumed was a lie, though his poker face gave little away for you to really know his motives.

”I’m not doing that…” You said quietly, the refusal a soft murmur laced with finality, giving your head a small shake which made the crucifix on your chest shift slightly against your sticky skin, while you rubbed your hand along your thigh in a restless glide, the friction warming your palm as you noticed it was wet with nervous sweat, leaving a damp trail on the black cotton, the clammy sensation clinging to your skin like an unwelcome second layer.

”Then I’ll just ask you questions about it, how does that sound?” He asked teasingly, his eyes gleaming with a frisky malice as he leaned in towards you, watching the way your mouth parted just enough to expose the edges of your teeth as you inhaled softly, attempting to fill your lungs with air, trying bypass how your throat was beginning to close, but it was futile, because all it did was drown you in the essence of him–the aftershave he wore, his sandalwood cologne, the natural muskiness of his skin. It all surrounded you, and pushed you under his spell even further.

“I don–“ Before you could even muster a full rebuttal, the syllables stumbling on your tongue like hesitant footsteps on uneven ground, he interjected with a sultry timbre that enveloped the room, his voice breathy and coaxing, each word dripping like hot wax over bare skin, drawing you in despite the frantic drumming of your heart.

“Was it at one of your little church retreats? Did you…Sneak out to meet him? Was it in your bed, or his? Did he know what he was doing?” He murmured, the questions unfurling in a slow, hypnotic cadence, his breath hitching faintly between them as if he was savouring the forbidden imagery that danced through his mind. His head tilted to chase your evasive gaze, ensuring his piercing blue eyes remained locked on yours even as you tried to avoid them, the intensity making you feel like you were choking on nothing, like someone had wrapped a velvet noose around your throat and began tightening it.

With a fluid motion, he reached out and grasped the arm of your chair, swiveling it toward him with a low, resonant creak that vibrated through the floor, his knee slipping seamlessly between yours to pin you in place, the firm pressure of his thigh against the insides of yours sending a cascade of heat blooming upward, a tingling spark that raced along your nerves like electricity, preventing any easy retread as his presence loomed closer. He leaned forward from his seat, angling his body so he had to look up at you through the thick fringe of his lashes, the position casting features in a shadowed allure that made your breath catch, your skin prickling with goosebumps as if brushed by phantom fingers.

You could feel your brain scrambling for a semblance of steadiness, synapses firing in chaotic bursts like fireworks in a storm, but your mind drew a blank canvas, void of coherent thought, because there was no conceivable way you could have anticipated this turn–the way his proximity was crowding you, the unexplainable pulsing surging through your body, your core, your muscles, not from the sharp bite of nerves or the cold grip of anxiety, but from something deeper, more primal, a budding lust that coiled low like a serpent stirring from its slumber.

It didn’t make sense, this magnetic pull, especially towards Todd of all people, yet it held you in the moment, your senses heightening to every nuance: the scent of his cologne, the shift of his hot breath against your skin.

His tongue dated out to lick his bottom lip slowly, a sweep that left a glistening sheen that caught the light like freshly fallen rain on blades of grass, drawing your eyes down to the motion. The plush curve of his mouth was mesmerizing in its causal sensuality, it looked soft, it looked like it was begging to be touched, and for a moment he bit the flesh, before reaching out with his free hand–while the other secured the chair in place, fingers gripping the armrest with a firmness that couldn’t be broken even if your tried–and ghosting his fingertips over the chain around your neck, the touch featherlight yet scorching.

The metal, warmed by your skin, conducted the heat from his fingers like a conduit, leading down to the cross where his pointer lingered, running along its edges with a slow, exploratory drag, feeling the sticky dew of perspiration on your chest beneath it. The sheen clung to his skin as he relished the way he had you ensnared, exactly where he desired, your body responding with a quiver that betrayed your composure.

”Did you have the cross between your teeth when he was inside you? Were you sucking on it as you pushed down all those little things you learned about purity, about how you should save yourself for someone who deserved it?” He whispered, his touch lingering for a suspended moment on your chest, the pad of his finger absorbing the frantic rhythm of your heartbeat, a palpable thrum that vibrated against his skin like a secret Morse code, before trailing upward to caress the side of your cheek. The warm of his palm cupping your face with a gentleness that contrasted the intensity of his words made you lean into his touch slightly, it was a barely noticeable movement, as his thumb rested on your bottom lip, pressing it against the plush, slightly chapped skin that quivered beneath his touch, slipping the tip of it inside to gather the slickness of your saliva, then dragging it down slowly to smear the wetness along the cracks. The sensation of the air cooling the dampness, sent a jolt through your core, and you could feel the liquid fire in your belly pooling low.

Your lashes fluttered closed at the feeling, the ache that pulsed through your most intimate place, it was familiar to you, yet at the same time…It felt new, like a reflexive surrender to the overwhelming intimacy of the moment, and it only made you squirm in your spot, your hands wringing the fabric of your sweatpants in tight twists, the material bunching under your grip.

“Did he make you cum?” He asked, the question hanging like a temptation–like the apple in the Garden of Eden–feeling his breath ghosting over your lips, carrying the faint minty freshness that made your mouth water. Instantly, as if Todd had shot a truth serum through your veins, you shook your head no, the motion small and hesitant, your eyes opening to peer up at him through your lashes, gauging his reaction–the way his expression paused, and his eyes widened slightly, like he was surprised you finally cracked. His knee bumped the insides of yours with a nudge that spread your legs just a fraction wider.

It was like he was expecting you to elaborate, his silence a vacuum pulling at your words, coaxing them out of you just by looking at your face, and you could feel yourself slowly succumbing to the unspoken demand, a sigh escaping your lips in a soft exhale that brushed against the tip of his thumb, the warmth of your breath mingling with the saliva.

“It happened at a party a while ago…It was quick, and brief, there wasn’t any…Build up, I just kind of did it. We didn’t really know each other, we just met and I decided to take him up on the offer of sleeping with him thinking that if I was turning away from my faith I might as well take the opportunity now and start the journey with a band…I thought it would be different, but it…Sucked to be honest.” You explained, the admission tumbling out in a quiet rush–like you were grasping at the will to form words–following it with a self-deprecating laugh that bubbled up from you like a release valve, light and brittle, your fingers loosening their grip on the fabric of your pants, leaving wrinkled imprints behind.

He kept his eyes on you, unblinking and intense, his irises tracing every shift in your posture–the way your shoulders curved inward every so slightly, as if you were curling around a secret wound. It was like watching a delicate flower wilting under the weight of its own petals, your gaze dropping to the floor in a quiet retreat, lashes casting long shadows over your cheeks as regret etched faint lines across your forehead. He could almost hear the echo of your internal monologue, the self-recrimination bubbling up like bitter bile: how impulsive that night had been, a reckless plunge into unfamiliar waters without a lifeline, driven by the raw ache of rebellion against the rigid doctrines that had once defined you. Speaking it aloud seemed to amplify the folly, turning a hazy memory into a stark, unflattering portrait of haste and disappointment, and Todd savoured the vulnerability it exposed.

Yet, far from deterring him, your confession only stoked the inferno raging within Todd’s chest, a wildfire that leaped from ember to blaze in an instant, consuming his thoughts in a torrent of fevered possibilities. His mind raced ahead like a runaway train hurtling off its tracks, derailing into visions so vivid they bordered on hallucination: you, pliant and eager beneath his guiding hands, your body a blank canvas awaiting his masterful strokes. He imagined molding you with exquisite patience, unravelling the threads of your inexperience one silken strand at a time–teaching you the symphony of sensations that a skilled lover like him could orchestrate, the way a single touch could ignite nerves you didn’t know existed, sending ripples of ecstasy cascading through your limbs.

That pure, untainted mind of yours, still shadowed by echoes of sermons and vows, would yield to him like fresh clay under a sculptor’s fingers; he could be the one to shatter the illusions of your past encounter, to rewrite the narrative of pleasure in bold, permanent ink. No more fumbling in the dark with a stranger who saw you as a fleeting conquest–he would be your revelation, the shepherd leading his lamb not to salvation, but to sublime ruin. All it would take was your surrender, a whispered yes that granted him access to the sacred temple of your desires, allowing him to show you the heights you had been denied, the quivering bliss that should have marked your first foray into intimacy, not the hollow echo of regret.

He yearned to infiltrate every corner of your being, to reduce you to a trembling, writhing mosaic of need beneath him–your breaths coming in ragged gasps, your skin hot and glistening with a sheen of sweat that begged for his tongue to trace salty paths along it, your voice fracturing into pleas and whimpers until tears pricked at the corners of your eyes from the torment of anticipation. Todd had always been a man of calculated indulgence; he could thrive on sporadic, heated liaisons that left his partners breathless and yearning, but with you, he envisioned something lavish, an endless feast where he’d offer himself up plate after plate–slow, teasing explorations that built to shattering ends, only to begin anew. You’d crave him like an addiction, your body growing attended to his rhythms, and he’d relish the power of granting or withholding, turning you into his most devoted acolyte in this new, carnal faith.

“You had other experiences after that though…Right?” He asked, his voice a low, velvet rumble that came out far more drier than expected, slicing through the silence. He tried to pivot to mask the storm brewing inside him–to distract from the distinct throb awakening in his core, where his arousal stirred, pressing against the confines of his dress pants with a growing insistence that made the fabric feel suddenly constricting, heat pooling low in his abdomen.

You raised your eyebrows at him, the arch a fragile bridge of surprise over your wide eyes, and shook your head again, the motion sending a faint shiver through you, the crucifix swaying gently against the damp valley between your breasts.

“One dick…Remember?” You commented quietly, your words were a hushed reminder, “I was being serious about that,” You added, your voice trailing off into a whisper that carried the weight of unspoken hesitations, your fingers now tracing absent patterns on your thigh, the soft scrape of nails against cotton a tactile anchor amid the swirling thoughts in your mind.

He felt the tie around his neck tightening like a noose woven from his own desires, not literally but in the suffocating rush of blood thundering through his veins, diverting southward and leaving his thoughts hazy at the edges, as if the revelation had hammered the final nail into the coffin of his restraint. It was the tipping point, the irrevocable push that propelled him forward, riding on a surge of hope that you’d yield to the inevitable pull, that the spark he’d ignited wouldn’t fizzle out but blaze into something consuming.

His hand slid off your cheek with a lingering reluctance, the warmth of your skin clinging to his palm like a phantom caress, and he reached toward the knot at his throat, fingers deftly loosening the silk with a slow tug that eased the pressure but did little to quell the fire within. He stood up quickly from his chair, the abrupt motion sending a faint creak through the frame of it, and the sudden absence of his body’s radiating heat hit you like a chill draft sweeping through an open window, leaving your skin prickling with goosebumps and an inexplicable sense of loss that echoed deep in your bones, making you sit up straighter instinctively, your spine slinging with a subtle snap as if you were bracing for the unknown.

Todd moved toward the door with short, purposeful strides, each step measured and charged with urgency, the friction of his erection rubbing against the soft weave of his boxer briefs and the unyielding barrier of his zipper sending jolts of electric tension up his spine, the fabric whispering promises of release against his straining length.

He reached out and twisted the lock on the doorknob with a decisive click that resonated through the room like a key turning in a forbidden lock, sealing you both in this cocoon of privacy, before his hand moved to the chain dangling beside the windows, his fingers curling around the cool metal links with a grip that betrayed the tremor of anticipation thrumming through him.

“What’re you doing?” You pressed, your voice wavering in its steadiness, a fragile thread pulled taut, laced with a mix of curiosity and dawning apprehension that made your pulse visible at the base of your throat, fluttering like a trapped bird as you watched him pull at the chain, the thick, dark curtains descending in a slow cascade, their heavy fabric whispering against the glass with each incremental drop, muffling the outside world until the room was enveloped in a dimmer, more intimate glow.

“Teaching you something for once,” he replied, still turned with his back to you, his broad shoulders silhouetted against the now-obscured windows, waiting until the blinds met the floor with a final, soft thud, ensuring absolute seclusion–that no prying eyes could pierce this veil, no interruptions could shatter the moment. The words hit you immediately, a visceral impact that sent your heart into a frenzied gallop, pounding against your ribcage with such force it bordered on painful, a thunderous rhythm that drowned out everything around you and made your breath catch in your throat, wondering if this was a prelude to a heart attack or something far more transformative.

When he turned back to you, the room seemed to contract around the both of you, the air thickening with a palpable charge that hummed in your ears. Todd could see it immediately–the way you were practically hanging on every unspoken word, your body poised on the edge of the chair as if tethered by an invisible string he held in his grasp, your chest rising and falling in shallow breaths that displayed how he’d already woven his control into you. Your wide eyes locked onto his, reflecting a mix of trepidation and raw curiosity, like a doe frozen in the headlights, waiting for the confirmation that would shatter the fragile barrier between the both of you.

Your gaze roamed over him hungrily as he slowly made his way back to you, each step unhurried, the polished leather of his shoes whispering against the carpet in a soft hush. Your eyes traced the sharp lines of his silhouette first–the broad expanse of his shoulders straining against the light blue dress shirt, the sleeves rolled to his elbows revealing the corded muscles of his forearms that were dusted with faint brown hairs that reflected the light, with his veins standing out like rivers etched into marble. Then, lower, they snagged on the unmistakable bulge pressing insistently against the front of his dress pants, the fabric taut and unforgiving, creating a prominent mound that he couldn’t–and didn’t seem inclined to–explain away with casual dismissal. It was irrefutable confirmation of the path this night was veering toward, a visual promise that sent an overwhelming jolt surging through every inch of your body, like lightning forking through strom clouds.

Shivers cascaded up your spine in rippling waves, prickling your skin from the base of your neck to the tips of your fingers, while a sudden slickness bloomed between your thighs, dampening the cotton of your underwear with a rush that made you fully aware of your own arousal building. Instinctively, you shifted on the chair, your thighs pressing together in desperate movements, the soft friction of fabric against fabric providing fleeting sparks of relief that only heightened the ache awakening from its long hibernation deep in your core–a throbbing need that coiled tighter with each passing second, demanding more.

Once he came to stand directly in front of you, towering yet intimate, your eye level aligned perfectly with the gleam of his belt buckle, the silver catching the muted light like a winking secret. You tilted your head up slowly to meet his gaze, the motion exposing the vulnerable curve of your throat, where your pulse fluttered visibly beneath the skin like a captive butterfly. He was already looking down at you, his blue eyes darkened to stormy depths, holding yours with an intensity that made the air between you feel charged, almost combustible.

He brought his hand back to your cheek, the warmth of his palm cupping it with a tenderness that contrasted the feral hunger simmering beneath, his thumb tracing a gentle path just below your eye, brushing over the delicate skin there as if mapping every blemish. He took you in fully then, drinking in the details like a connoisseur savoring a rare vintage–the way your eyes were glazed over and glistening with unspoken want, lashes heavy and half-lowered; the subtle lean of your body into his touch, chasing the heat of his skin; the small, dizzying smile that tugged at the corners of your lips, tentative yet blooming; and the lust that burned just beneath the surface, flushing your cheeks and warming the flesh under his fingers to a feverish glow. In those suspended moments, he knew without doubt that you were acutely aware his intentions, and the way you nuzzled deeper into his palm, your breath ghosting warm against his wrist, was a silent, unequivocal sign of surrender, a willingness to hand over every guarded inch of yourself, no matter what depraved delights he might demand.

“Sit on the table for me,” He instructed, his voice a low command, authoritative yet laced with an undercurrent of invitation that made your stomach flip. He stepped back just enough to grant you space, his presence lingering like a magnetic field you could still feel pulling at you even in retreat. You blinked up at him for a heartbeat, processing the request through the haze clouding your mind, before compliance took over, your body moving almost of its own accord.

Rising from the chair with a soft creak of the frame, you swept the scattered notes and textbook aside in a hurried cascade of papers, the edges fluttering like startled birds, clearing a space on the wooden surface that felt suddenly vast and exposed. With a small hop, you perched on the edge, shifting your weight to settle comfortably, the cool wood pressing through your sweatpants against the backs of your thighs, grounding you amid the swirling heat. Instinctively, you parted your legs just enough to create an inviting gap, a silent beckoning that he filled without hesitation, stepping forward with predatory grace until the insides of your thighs brushed against the outsides of his, the contact sending fresh sparks racing up your legs like embers scattering from a fire. He burrowed deeper between them, his hips aligning with yours until you were chest to chest, the heat of his body enveloping you completely, so close that his breath mingled with yours, the faint mint lingering like a promise, and you could feel the steady thrum of his heartbeat echoing against your own frantic one–intimate enough that it felt like he was already inside you, claiming a space that no one else had occupied properly.

“What’re you going to teach me, Todd?” You asked, your voice emerging breathy and laced with a subtle eagerness that surprised even you, as his hand came to rest against your hip, his pinky grazing the sliver of bare flesh where your tank top had ridden up from the movements. A smirk curved his lips, slow and wicked, deepening the dimples in his cheeks as he let out a small, exhaled breath that fanned warm across your face, carrying the subtle sweetness of the energy drink he’d sipped earlier.

“Everything…And then some,” He replied simply, the words a tantalizing vow that hung in the air like smoke, his hand slipping further beneath the hem of your tank top to envelop the soft flesh of your hip fully, his fingers splaying possessively as he gave it a gentle squeeze, the pressure firm yet exploratory, kneading the curve there.

Before you could respond, he leaned forward, closing the scant distance to capture your lips in a kiss that started tentative but quickly deepened. At first, you were stiff against him, your mouth pressing back with an earnest but unpracticed firmness–you were not a bad kisser by any means, but the lack of experience showed in the way your lips moved rigidly, mirroring his initial pressure without the fluid grace of familiarity, like a dancer learning steps for the first time. You tried to match his rhythm, your tongue tentatively brushing his as you parted your lips slightly, but the hesitation lingered, a subtle tension in your jaw that spoke of uncertainty.

Sensing it, he reached up with his free hand–the one not anchored at your hip–and gently grasped your chin between his thumb and forefinger, his touch guiding rather than forceful, tilting your head just so with a subtle nudge that encouraged you to loosen, to melt into him. Wordlessly, he coaxed you with the pressure of his fingers, easing the rigidity from your posture as his lips softened against yours, inviting rather than demanding, until you felt the knot of nerves unravel, your body relaxing into the kiss like sinking into warm water. You opened your mouth wider to him then, a soft sigh escaping as he slipped his tongue inside, exploring with a languid sweep that tangled with yours in a dance of heat and discovery. He tasted the sweet, tangy remnants of the sour key you’d nibbled on before his arrival, a citrusy burst that mingled with the underlying freshness of mint on his breath, but what overwhelmed everything was the raw sensation of your tongue gliding against his–velvet-soft and eager, the wet slide sending shivers cascading through both of you.

The kiss turned feral and messy in an instant, a whirlwind of urgency that devoured restraint; saliva mingled and spilled at the corners of your mouths, his teeth grazing your lower lip in a playful nip that drew a gasp from you, the sound swallowed by his deepening claim. Your hands found their way to his belt loops, fingers hooking into the sturdy fabric with a desperate tug that pulled him flush against you, the hard ridge of his erection pressing insistently into your core through the layers of clothing, a throbbing heat that made you arch instinctively, the friction igniting fresh waves of need that pulsed low and insistent. He groaned softly into your mouth, the vibration rumbling through your chest, as your tongues battled in slick, heated strokes, the kiss devolving into a primal exchange of breaths and bites, messy strands of saliva connecting you even as he finally pulled back, both of you panting, lips swollen and glistening.

“Help me take your pants off,” He murmured, his voice roughened to a gravelly edge, eyes dark with unrestrained desire as his hand slipped from your hip to the drawstrings of your sweatpants, fingers deftly untying the knot with a quick pull that loosened the waistband. You nodded breathlessly, kicking off your shoes with hurried flicks that sent them clattering to the floor in muffled thuds, the cool air kissing your bare feet as you shifted on the table to aid him. Both his hands descended then, hooking into the waistband and tugging downward with firm, deliberate motions, the fabric sliding over your hips with a soft rasp against your skin, revealing inch by inch the smooth expanse of your thighs until the sweatpants pooled at your ankles and fell to the ground in a discarded heap, leaving you in nothing but your simple white underwear–cotton panties that were utterly unadorned, with nothing innately sexy about their plain design or modest cut.

Yet, because they clung to you, hugging the curves of your hips and the subtle swell between your legs, they might as well have been the most provocative lace, rendering you feel exposed as if you’d bared everything to him at once. His pupils dilated as they fixed on the damp spot blooming at the center, the wetness from your arousal making the fabric translucent just enough to hint at the delicate outline of your folds beneath, a teasing shadow that made his mouth water. Todd was delighted at the sight, because removing the last barrier was just one step closer to utterly ruining you for any man who might follow–if you even chose to pursue another.

He knew, with bone-deep certainty, that he’d imprint himself into your very essence, that your walls would memorize the ridges and veins of his cock like it was a sacred text, and that every subsequent lover would pale in comparison, offering mere satisfaction where he would forever embody perfection, woven into the fabric of your desires like an indelible stain.

You could see the way he was looking at you now, the raw hunger etching lines of tension across his features, lust scorching through his irises like blue flames, devouring you whole without a touch. His fingers returned to the waistband of your underwear soon after, tugging gently but insistently, a silent signal for you to lift your hips again so he could strip away this final barrier, the anticipation coiling tighter in the air between you like a spring about to snap.

Quickly, you shifted again from side to side, lifting your hips in subtle, alternating rolls that allowed the cotton to slide down inch by inch, the fabric clinging stubbornly to your damp skin before yielding with a soft, whispering drag. The cool air of the room kissed your newly exposed flesh immediately, a stark contrast to the feverish heat building within you, sending fresh goosebumps rippling across your thighs like a breeze. Todd pulled the fabric down slowly, with a controlled tension that made the process feel like an unveiling, a ritual of exposure that heightened every sensation–the faint stickiness of your arousal trailing along your inner thighs in thin, glistening threads, cooling rapidly and leaving behind a prickling awareness that made your core clench involuntarily.

His eyes devoured the sight of you half-naked before him, the dim fluorescent light casting a soft, ethereal glow over your lower body. There, laid bare, was the evidence of your need: your clit already swollen and flushed, throbbing subtly with each erratic beat of your heart; your folds glistening with a slick sheen of arousal that caught the light in tiny, iridescent sparkles, the wetness pooling at your entrance and trickling downward in lazy rivulets that spoke of how thoroughly he’d unraveled you without even a direct touch; and the tight, fluttering entrance itself, a delicate ring that clenched around nothing, quivering with anticipation as if already imagining the stretch and fill he promised. He could feel his cock twitching in his pants at the sight, a sharp, insistent pulse that strained against the zipper, demanding release–but he needed to control himself, to resist the primal urge to rush forward and claim you in one swift thrust, savoring instead the slow burn of building your desperation to match his own.

Bringing the discarded panties up to his nose, he pressed the damp fabric against his face and inhaled deeply, his chest expanding as the scent enveloped him–a heady, natural musk laced with a subtle sweetness, like ripe summer fruit warmed by the sun and mingled with the faint, earthy tang of your skin. It made his mouth water instantly, saliva pooling under his tongue as if he’d bitten into something forbidden and divine, the aroma so intoxicating it sent a fresh wave of dizziness through him, his eyelids fluttering half-closed in momentary bliss. He exhaled with a low, rumbling groan that vibrated through his chest, then placed the panties on the table beside you with careful precision, the fabric landing with a soft crumple that seemed to echo the crumbling of your last defenses.

”Fuck you smell amazing.” He whispered, leaning in once more to capture your lips in another kiss. This one was softer at first, a gentle reclaiming that built quickly into shared urgency, his mouth slanting over yours with a possessiveness that made your head spin. Your hands rose instinctively to rest on the sides of his torso, fingers splaying over the firm ridges of muscle beneath his dress shirt, the fabric warm and slightly damp from the heat radiating off his body; you pawed at him there, squeezing gently, feeling the solid planes of his obliques flex and shift under your touch, a tactile exploration that grounded you amid the whirlwind of sensation. He reached up then, his hands sliding over your shoulders to push your hoodie off with firm, sweeping motions, the heavy fabric pooling down your arms like shedding a second skin; you pulled back just enough to shrug it free, letting it drop to the floor in a muffled thud, the sudden exposure to the room’s air pebbling your skin further.

Without breaking eye contact, his fingers hooked under the hem of your tank top next, lifting it upward in a slow peel that revealed the expanse of your stomach inch by inch, the cool rush of air teasing your newly bared midriff before he tugged it over your head completely, leaving you in only your white lace bra–a delicate confection of sheer fabric that hugged your breasts like a whisper, the intricate patterns doing little to conceal the shadowed peaks of your nipples pressing insistently against it, hardened into tight buds from the combination of arousal and the room’s chill.

He kissed you deeper this time, his lips claiming yours with a fervor that made stars burst behind your closed eyelids, and as your mouths moved in heated sync, his thumbs traced upward to brush over those swollen nipples through the lace, the friction of the fabric adding a layer of exquisite torment that sent jolts of pleasure straight to your core. He pinched them gently at first, rolling the sensitive peaks between his fingers with a deliberate twist that earned a sharp gasp from you, the sound vibrating against his lips like a shared secret, your body arching involuntarily into his touch. He continued, pinching and twisting with varying pressure–sometimes light and teasing, sometimes firmer, bordering on a sting that blurred the line between pain and ecstasy–while his palms kneaded the soft fullness of your breasts, the lace rasping against your skin in a way that amplified every sensation, your fingers digging into his sides in response, nails pressing through his shirt to leave faint crescents on his skin as the slight burn settled through you, a delicious ache that only fueled the liquid heat pooling between your thighs.

Then, with a sudden but purposeful motion, he captured one of your hands in his, guiding it downward with a firm yet gentle insistence, pressing your fingers against the throbbing heat of your clit, the contact sending a shockwave through you like touching a live wire, your own touch feeling foreign and electrified under his direction. He pulled away from the kiss just enough to speak, his breath hot and ragged against your lips.

“I want to watch you touch yourself…” He instructed, seeing the way your lashes fluttered at him, a veil of shyness mingling with the haze of desire, your voice emerging soft and hesitant.

“I’ve never done that in front of someone before,”

He gave you a gentle peck, a reassuring brush of lips that lingered just long enough to soothe, his words a velvet murmur. “Just do it for me baby…I want to see…I want to know how you get off…”

You could’ve sworn you felt yourself grow wetter just from the tone in his voice, that sultry sweetness laced with commanding undertones, wrapping around you like silk bonds, coaxing a short, shaky breath from your lungs as you whispered, “Okay…”

He backed away then, grabbing one of the chairs and positioning it directly in front of you with a decisive scrape against the floor. He sat down slowly, spreading his legs wide in a posture of unapologetic dominance, his thighs straining against the fabric of his pants as he settled his hands on his belt, fingers resting there like a promise, his gaze locked on you with an intensity that made your skin flush anew.

He looked down at your hand, mesmerized by the way you gently trailed your fingertips along your clit, the light pressure sending tremors through your body, your breath hitching as you explored the swollen nub with tentative circles. Then, gliding lower, you dipped into the slick warmth of your folds, gathering your arousal onto your fingers–a glistening coat that caught the light like dew on petals–before bringing it back up to the bundle of nerves, rubbing in slow, deliberate spirals that built a rhythm of mounting pleasure. The interaction was intense, erotic, a silent dialogue of exposure and observation; you leaned back against your free hand for support, the wood of the table cool and steady beneath your palm, spreading your legs a little wider to expose more of yourself to his voracious gaze–the way your dripping entrance fluttered around nothing, clenching in rhythmic pulses that begged for fulfillment, the slick pooling beneath you on the table’s surface in a small puddle.

“Fuck, baby…You look so fucking good like that…Keep going,” He urged, his voice rough with restraint, as his hands began to undo his belt, the metallic clink of the buckle echoing through the room like a tolling bell, drawing your eyes downward immediately. He unzipped his pants, the rasp of the zipper a tantalizing prelude, before pushing the fabric down along with his boxers to mid-thigh, exposing his erection in all its imposing glory–far larger than the fleeting encounter you’d known before, thick and veined with a girth that promised a stretch bordering on overwhelming, the length curving slightly upward toward his abdomen. Pre-cum dripped from the reddened, swollen tip, a thin strand connecting to his thigh before breaking as he shifted; from where you perched, you could see the prominent veins mapping the underside like rivers pulsing with life, branching out in intricate patterns that throbbed subtly with each heartbeat, and the neatly trimmed pubic hair at the base, a dark, manicured patch that accentuated his groomed precision, framing him like a work of art. He kept himself impeccably maintained, every detail screaming control and allure, and it only made your core clench harder around nothing, a fresh gush of wetness escaping you as the image of him pushing into you–stretching, filling, claiming–played on a relentless loop in your mind, your fingers faltering for a moment in their rhythm from the sheer intensity of the fantasy.

He wrapped his hand around his cock then, the grip firm as he began stroking slowly, the motion deliberate and unhurried, his thumb swiping over the tip to spread the pre-cum down the shaft in slick, glistening trails that eased the glide, his breath deepening into low, controlled exhales that matched the building tension in the room.

“I want you to finger yourself…” He instructed, motioning to your hand that was still rubbing against your clit, his eyes hooded and fixed on the way your fingers glistened with your own essence.

You obeyed immediately, letting your digits slide through the slick warmth of your folds once more, circling your entrance with two fingers in teasing loops that gathered more arousal, the sensation like silk against silk, before slipping them inside with a slow, deliberate push–the tight heat enveloping them in a velvet grip that made you gasp, your walls fluttering around the intrusion as you began to pump them in and out.

Todd watched on in awe as he continued to fist his cock with measured restraint, the slick sound of his hand gliding over his veined length filling the room like a rhythmic undertone to your breathless symphony. He bit down on his lower lip, jaw clenching to suppress the urge to speed up, to chase the building pressure coiling in his groin–because he didn’t want to cum yet, not without burying himself deep inside you, feeling your walls milk him in ways your fingers could only hint at. But god, the sight of you was testing every ounce of his control: your slender digits plunging in and out of your soaked core with increasing urgency, the wet, obscene squelch echoing like a siren’s call, your arousal coating your fingers in a glossy sheen that dripped down your knuckles and pooled on the table’s edge. Little noises escaped you–soft, involuntary whimpers that started as hushed breaths but grew into keening mewls, each one piercing the air like a delicate arrow, making Todd perk up instantly, his cock twitching in his grip as if responding to your pleas, his free hand gripping the armrest tighter to anchor himself.

“Tell me what you’re feeling, baby…” His voice was a gravelly rasp, thick with the effort of holding back, barely registering in your haze of pleasure; your mind was a swirling fog of sensation, every nerve alight with the building tension, but you summoned the willpower to drag yourself from the brink, your words tumbling out in fragmented whispers.

“Feeling so fucking good…So fucking wet, I…I’m so close…” You whispered, your voice fracturing on the edge of a moan, your core clenching around your fingers in rapid, fluttering spasms that sent electric sparks radiating outward, your thighs trembling with the effort of keeping them spread.

“What are you imagining?” He pressed, squeezing the swollen tip of his cock between his thumb and forefinger, a bead of pre-cum welling up anew before he slid his hand back down the shaft in a slow, torturous stroke, the veins pulsing under his palm like live wires.

“Your fingers…Your cock inside of me…I…I want you inside of me so badly.” You were babbling now, the words spilling out in a delirious rush, your free hand clutching the table’s edge for leverage as your hips bucked subtly into your own touch, chasing the elusive peak that hovered just out of reach.

The admission resonated through him like a thunderclap, shattering the last threads of his rhythm; he broke his steady strokes abruptly, rising from the chair with a predatory grace that made the wood creak in protest. In one fluid motion, he closed the distance, his hand shooting out to encircle your wrist–the one buried between your thighs–his grip firm but not bruising, the slick warmth of his pre-cum transferring to your skin in a sticky glide that mingled with your own arousal, sending a forbidden thrill up your arm like liquid fire. He pulled your hand away slowly, deliberately, your fingers emerging with a wet pop that echoed lewdly, strands of your essence stretching and snapping between them like silken threads, leaving your core clenching desperately around the sudden emptiness, a whine of protest bubbling from your throat.

He brought his hand up to your mouth then, cupping it just beneath your chin with his slicked fingers splayed, his eyes locking onto yours with an intensity that pinned you in place.

“Spit,” He commanded, his voice a low, authoritative rumble that brooked no argument, vibrating through you like a bass note that settled low in your belly.

You tilted your head down obediently, parting your lips to let a glistening string of saliva fall from your tongue onto his waiting fingers, the warm droplet pooling in his palm before he withdrew, bringing them back down to your aching core with purposeful intent. He rubbed his saliva-soaked hand against you first, the mixture of your combined essences creating a slippery, heated friction that made your hips jerk involuntarily, his palm grinding against your clit in broad circles that sent shivers up your spine.

“This is what you want, hmm? You want my thick fingers to fuck this pretty little pussy?” He asked, his tone dripping with lust, and you nodded eagerly, desperately, your breath coming in ragged pants as the tips of his pointer and middle fingers pressed against your entrance, teasing the fluttering rim before slipping both in with a slow, inexorable push.

They filled you far more than your own slender digits ever could, the stretch a delicious burn that bordered on overwhelming–his fingers thicker, longer, calloused in ways that added textured ridges to every inch they claimed, nestling deep into your fluttering walls until his knuckles brushed your outer lips. He curled them immediately, the pads rubbing insistently against that rigid, spongy spot inside you that swelled with each precise pass, sending shockwaves of pleasure radiating outward. He gave you a gentle peck then, a soft contrast to the intensity below, his lips brushing yours like a whisper before he nipped at your bottom lip, the sharp sting blooming into a throb that mirrored the one between your legs.

“Fuck, Todd, oh god…” You cursed, your voice fracturing into a moan as you squirmed against him, every thrust of his fingers igniting fresh fire along your nerves, your body a live wire arcing under his command.He used his free arm to wrap around the small of your back, pulling you impossibly closer, his hold unyielding like iron bands that prevented any escape, trapping you in the maelstrom of sensation as your whines grew louder, more desperate–high-pitched keens that filled the room like music, each one punctuated by the wet, rhythmic slap of his fingers driving into you. Your walls clenched around him in erratic pulses, soaking his hand completely, the slick dripping down his wrist in warm rivulets that cooled on his skin, a messy testament to your unravelling.

“God, you’re going to feel so fucking good around my cock, sweetheart… I’m gonna fucking ruin you…You’re never going to remember your first time after I’m done with you…Cause I’ll be the one that’s ingrained in your mind after this… How would you like that?” He asked, his words a heated growl against your ear, his breath fanning hot across your neck as he leaned in to nibble at the nape, teeth grazing the sensitive skin there in sharp, teasing bites that sent shudders cascading down your spine.

“I…Oh fuck…Todd…I would love it…Erase all of it…Take it from me, replace it all.” You moaned, your voice a fractured plea as his fingers sped up, the pace relentless now, each curl and thrust hitting that swollen spot with unerring accuracy, building the pressure in your core to a fever pitch. Your body writhed against his, the top of your thigh grazing just beneath his cock in accidental brushes that earned low, guttural groans from him, the vibration rumbling through his chest into yours. Your walls clenched tighter, a rapid flutter that signaled the edge, soaking his fingers in a fresh gush as you whined and moaned and gasped, your body shaking against him like a leaf in a gale, clutching at his arm with desperate fingers, nails digging into the taut muscle there to leave red crescents in their wake.

He kept thrusting through your climax, drawing out every tremor until the rapid fluttering of your walls eased into languid pulses, only then pulling them out slowly, the withdrawal accompanied by a final, obscene squelch that made your cheeks burn even hotter. He looked down at the mess coating his hand–your release glistening like dew on his skin, strands connecting his fingers as he spread them slightly–before murmuring, “Fucking beautiful…”

Bringing his fingers up to his mouth, he sucked them clean with deliberate slowness, his tongue swirling around each digit to savor the tangy-sweet essence of your release, moaning low in his throat as the flavor burst across his taste buds like nectar. You were panting, chest heaving as you caught your breath, the aftershocks still tingling through your limbs like fading echoes, watching him pull his fingers free with a wet pop before settling them gently against your cheek, the residual warmth and dampness an intimate reminder of what he’d just wrought.

“Open your mouth… I want you to taste yourself off my tongue.” He instructed, and you complied without hesitation, parting your lips as he tilted your head back slightly with his other hand.

He leaned forward, letting his saliva–mingled with traces of you–fall from his mouth in a slow, deliberate string, the warm wetness pooling on your tongue like forbidden ambrosia; you swallowed every drop he gave, the salty-sweet fusion sliding down your throat in a heady rush that made your core twitch anew, before pulling back with a dazed smile, your lips still tingling from the exchange.

“You’re so fucking obedient…You love taking commands, don’t you?” He teased, rubbing his thumb over your lips in lazy circles, tracing the plush curve as if memorizing it, and you nodded, the admission pulling from you like a confession.

“I would only take them…And tolerate them when they’re coming from your mouth.” You replied, your voice husky and breathless, earning a slow, approving smile from him that lit his features.

“That’s what I like to hear…” He praised, leaning in to give you a small kiss, a soft seal of approval that lingered with promise, before pulling back to meet your gaze. “Now, are you ready for my cock?” He asked, searching your face for any flicker of doubt, but finding only unreadable anticipation in your flushed features.

“Yes…Please…Please take me…Use me…Don’t hold back,” You begged, your words a fervent plea, your hands reaching out to clutch at his shirt, your fingers twisting in the fabric.

“I don’t think you know what you’re asking for, baby… You haven’t even experienced a real man before… And you think you’ll be able to handle me when I’m not holding myself back?” He questioned, the tease lacing his voice like velvet over steel, a challenge issued through the haze of your post-orgasmic glow, his eyes gleaming with dark amusement.

“I want you to do it…I want to feel you at your roughest…I want to know what it’s like…I want you to defile me until I can’t remember my own name…Until you ruin me for everyone else but you…” He smiled at that, his eyes gleaming with a dark satisfaction at how utterly desperate you were for him–so eager, so willing to be taken and reshaped into whatever twisted vision he held, it was almost endearing in its raw vulnerability, a lamb offering itself to the wolf without realizing the depth of the devouring to come. But beneath that flicker of affection, it fed straight into the corruption kink simmering in his core, a thrilling rush at the thought of tarnishing your innocence further, layer by fragile layer, until you were irrevocably his. He leaned in again, capturing your lips in a kiss that started with deceptive gentleness, his mouth brushing yours like a promise of tenderness before deepening into something possessive and consuming, his tongue sweeping in to claim the space, tasting the lingering salt of your earlier surrender mixed with the faint metallic tang from your bitten lip.

As the kiss intensified, your hands slid from his sides to the front of his shirt, fingers trembling with a mix of post-orgasmic haze and burgeoning need, fumbling at the buttons with urgent, clumsy tugs that popped them free one by one. The fabric parted gradually under your touch, revealing the freckled and pale expanse of his chest and stomach–a canvas of smooth, taut skin dotted with constellations of faint brown spots, rising and falling with each controlled breath, the subtle play of muscles beneath, warm and inviting like sun-kissed marble begging for exploration. You traced your fingertips along the newly bared skin, feeling the heat radiating from him, the faint prickle of goosebumps rising in response to your touch, a silent affirmation of how your proximity affected him too.

He mirrored your urgency, his hands sliding up your arms to hook under the delicate straps of your bra, pulling them down with deliberate slowness that made the lace rasp against your shoulders like a whisper of silk on silk, sending shivers cascading down your spine. With a deft flick of his fingers at the clasp behind your back, the band gave way, the garment loosening before he let it slip free entirely, tumbling to the floor in a soft heap of white lace, leaving your breasts exposed to the cool air of the room–a sudden rush that pebbled your nipples tighter, the sensitive peaks aching with the dual torment of chill and arousal. He leaned down immediately, his breath hot against your skin as he pressed open-mouthed kisses to the soft mounds, his lips trailing fire along the curves, tongue flicking out to tease the hardened buds in lazy swirls that drew breathless gasps from you, each one vibrating through his mouth like a reward.

Straightening slightly, he shoved his pants and boxers down in one fluid motion, the fabric pooling at his ankles. He stepped out of them gracefully, kicking the discarded clothing aside with a careless flick that sent it skidding across the floor, his erection springing free once more, heavy and insistent, the tip glistening anew with fresh pre-cum that beaded and threatened to drip. He grabbed your thighs then, his large hands encircling them with possessive firmness, fingers digging into the soft flesh just enough to leave faint imprints as he pulled you abruptly to the edge of the table, the wood scraping slightly against your bare skin with a muted rasp that sent a thrill up your spine.

Positioning himself firmly between your spread legs, the heat of his body enveloping you like a living flame, he guided his thick erection toward you with one hand, the other steadying your hip. He rubbed the swollen tip against your folds first, the velvety head gliding through the slick warmth in teasing strokes that gathered your arousal like nectar, coating him in a glistening sheen that made every nerve in your core ignite with fresh urgency; then, he dragged it upward to circle your clit, smearing his pre-cum along the sensitive nub in deliberate swirls, the combined slickness creating a slippery friction that had you arching toward him, a whimper escaping your lips as electric sparks danced through your veins.

Finally, he lined himself up with your entrance, the broad head nudging against the fluttering rim, and pushed in slowly, inch by torturous inch, the stretch an exquisite burn that filled you utterly–his girth parting your walls with unyielding pressure, every ridge and vein dragging along your inner textures in a way that made stars burst behind your eyelids, the sensation like being claimed from the inside out, a delicious invasion that bordered on too much yet promised everything. You whimpered, the sound raw and unfiltered, your eyes squeezing shut tightly against the overwhelming fullness, a mix of sharp sting and profound pleasure that left you breathless, your core clenching instinctively around the intrusion as if to both resist and welcome it.

“You okay?” He asked, his voice a husky murmur laced with genuine concern, pausing midway to let you adjust, his hands soothing along your thighs in gentle strokes that contrasted the intensity below.

You nodded, drawing in a slow, shuddering breath to steady yourself, the air filling your lungs with a cool rush that did little to temper the fire raging within. “Yeah…Just really, really full.”

He let out a little laugh, low and rumbling, the sound vibrating through his chest into yours as he leaned down to kiss along your jaw, his lips tracing the sharp line with featherlight brushes that sent tingles racing across your skin.

“That’s a good thing…I hope you can feel every fucking vein…Every ridge,” He whispered against your ear, his breath hot and teasing, before sinking in fully with one final, slow thrust that buried him to the hilt.

The sudden completeness drew a sharp gasp from you, your body tensing as he filled you entirely, the pressure bordering on overwhelming, every inch of him pressing against spots that ignited fresh waves of sensation. He leaned down further, his mouth finding your neck, kissing the sensitive column with open-mouthed fervor before nipping at the skin there–sharp, deliberate bites that bloomed into stinging warmth, marks that would purple into bruises by morning, a possessive branding that made your pulse race.

Instinctively, you wrapped your legs around his waist, locking your ankles at the small of his back to pull him impossibly deeper, the shift angling him just right to brush that swollen ridge inside you with every subtle movement. Your hands slid from his stomach to round his back, your fingers splaying wide to clutch at the broad planes, nails grazing the skin in tentative trails that left faint pink lines in their wake.

He stayed still for a few suspended moments, buried deep, letting the heat of your body envelop him fully, his own breaths coming in controlled pants as he savored the vice-like grip of your walls, the way they fluttered around him like a living pulse. But you couldn’t wait, the fullness too exquisite to bear motionless; you shifted against him, hips rocking in subtle circles that ground your clit against his pubic bone, the friction sending sparks up your spine.

“Todd…Please move…” You begged, your voice a fractured whisper, laced with raw need that made his cock twitch inside you.

He obliged immediately, drawing back slowly at first–the drag of him retreating inch by inch a torturous tease that left you aching for more–before thrusting forward with deliberate control, each push a measured claim that built a rhythm of building intensity. He watched your facial expressions intently, his gaze locked on the way your eyes fluttered with each glide, lashes casting shadows over your cheeks as pleasure washed over you in waves, your lips parting on soft sighs that grew into breathy moans.

The sensation was all-consuming: the slick slide of him filling you anew with every thrust, the heat of his skin against yours, the faint burn where your thighs strained around his waist. Overwhelmed, you leaned forward, burying your face in the crook of his neck, inhaling the heady mix of his cologne and sweat–musky and intoxicating–as you moaned and whimpered into his skin, the sounds muffled but vibrating through him like a secret language.

He continued thrusting, his pace steady and deep, hands roaming your body with possessive sweeps–gripping your hips to angle you just so, fingers digging into the soft flesh to hold you steady as he drove into you, the table creaking faintly under the force. But he didn’t like the way you hid from him, the denial of seeing your unraveling up close; with a low growl, he murmured against your skin, “Sweetheart, be a good girl and look at me while I’m fucking you… Look at me while I take you.”

He punctuated the words with a sharp bite to the crook of your neck, teeth sinking in just enough to sting without breaking skin, the pain blooming into a throbbing heat that made you gasp, your body jolting against him. His hand fisted in your hair at the roots, the pull firm and commanding, tilting your head back to grant him more space; he explored the exposed column with his mouth, trailing sloppy kisses and licks up the sensitive skin, his tongue flicking along the chain of your necklace, breathing heavily to inhale the faint cherry scent imprinted on your body like a signature he couldn’t get enough of.

Pulling back slightly, he looked at you, noting how your eyes remained closed, lost in the haze; he tightened his grip in your hair, the tug sending a fresh zing from your scalp down your spine, and leaned forward, whispering hot against your lips, “I’m going to stop fucking you if you don’t open your eyes, baby…I want to see you…”

Immediately, you let out a small, desperate whine, the threat cutting through the fog, and forced your eyes open to meet his–your gaze hazy and unfocused at first, but locking onto the stormy blue of his irises, the intensity there mirroring the storm raging within you.

“That’s it…Now tell me…Who’s making you feel this good?” He instructed, thrusting harder now, the force jolting through you like a shockwave, his hips snapping forward with a precision that hit deep and unrelenting. You gasped, the air punched from your lungs, your walls clenching around him in reflexive spasms.

“You…Fuck, Todd…You’re making me feel this good.”

He smiled then, a grin of triumph that lit his features with wicked satisfaction, his thrusts maintaining that punishing rhythm as you scratched at his back–nails raking down the smooth planes in urgent trails, leaving raised red lines that burned pleasantly under his skin, a mark of your claim that only spurred him on. One hand slid down between you, his thumb finding your clit and circling it with firm, insistent pressure, the calloused pad rubbing in tight spirals that made you arch into him sharply, your breasts pressing flush against his chest, the friction of skin on skin amplifying every sensation–the pebbled hardness of your nipples dragging against his freckled torso like sparks on kindling.

“And who does this pussy belong to? Who owns it now?” He asked, his voice a ragged growl as he thrust harder, faster, his breaths coming in short, heated pants that fanned across your collarbone, the sound of skin slapping against skin–a wet, rhythmic percussion–mingling with the symphony of your shared moans and the creak of the table beneath you.

“You. It belongs to you… Oh fuck. You feel so fucking good, Todd…” You whined, the words dissolving into a loud moan as your walls clenched around him again, the pressure coiling tighter, a live wire ready to snap. He could feel you teetering on the edge, the way you fluttered around him in erratic pulses, gripping him like velvet vice; he sped up his thrusts, pounding into you relentlessly now, each drive a claim that shook your body, the table groaning under the force as he chased his own release, the heat building in his abdomen like a gathering storm.

“I need you to come all over my cock, baby…I need you to soak it…Claim it as your own.” He commanded, his thumb pressing harder against your clit, the circles frantic now, pushing you over the precipice.

That was all it took–the coil snapping with violent intensity, your orgasm crashing over you like a tidal wave, vision blurring at the edges as ecstasy ripped through you, your walls shattering around him in convulsive waves that milked his length, cries of his name spilling from your lips in broken sobs. Your nails dug deeper into his back, scratching down in desperate furrows that broke skin in places, the sting a distant pleasure amid his own unraveling; he shuddered against you, burying his face into your neck as the tightness, the gushing wetness enveloping him, sent him spiraling over the edge soon after.

He spilled inside you with hot, thick ropes of cum that seemed endless, each pulse twitching through his cock as he groaned your name low and guttural, the sound muffled against your skin, his hips stuttering through the final thrusts until he was spent, holding you close so you felt every minute of it–the warmth flooding you, the subtle throb as he softened slightly but remained buried deep.

The two of you stayed wrapped up in each other for a few suspended minutes, bodies slick with sweat and trembling with aftershocks, panting in perfect sync as the room’s hum faded back into awareness. Todd let out a long sigh and shifted first, gently pulling himself from your embrace to look at you, his eyes searching yours with a softness that contrasted the ferocity of moments ago, taking in the dick-drunk haze glazing your eyes as you peered up at him, utterly satiated and vulnerable.

“Is it always supposed to feel that good?” You asked, your voice a whisper laced with wonder, still catching your breath.

He let out a small laugh, warm and affectionate, reaching up to hold the crucifix between his fingers, twirling the warm metal absently as he replied, “We can go another round in a few minutes and I can show you…”

You nodded eagerly, the prospect igniting a fresh spark despite your exhaustion. “That would be perfect.” You murmured, reaching up to push a few stray hairs from his face.