He twists his hands tighter in the material of Shorter’s-shirt? Jacket? Ash doesn’t know what his friend is currently wearing. Pressing him closer.Īsh can hear his heartbeat. Shorter’s arms are around his shoulders in an instant, holding him tight. Ash barely has enough bearings to realize he can nod his head.Īnd that does the trick. The sound that leaves his throat is closer to a grunt than anything else. Please, please, do something!īut he can’t. I need to know the hands on me aren’t real. “Can I touch you, Ash? You can say no.”Īsh doesn’t want to say no. He’s remaining still, letting Ash hyperventilate into his chest. “Shhh, it’s alright.” Shorter isn’t pushing him away. Why would someone write that? And why was he made to read it? Why did the professor make him do that? Did she know? Did she want Ash to come face to face with his trauma? How did she find out? Did someone tell her? Who knows? He pulls the person forward and presses his face right to their chest. Without thinking much, because his brain is fully spiraling from what he just read, what he just pictured, what he just relieved-he reaches toward the blurry figure, hands finding rough material to grasp onto. After what just happened-he can’t-why would they make him read-why did he have to-why did-Īsh knows that voice. His vision is fuzzy, and the book that was in his hands suddenly isn’t anymore. His heart is beating faster than should be possible. The whole world shifts to the left and slams into Ash, knocking the breath right out of him and leaving him gasping for air. The author’s command of the narrative is intriguing, leaving Ash to fully get sucked in and intrigued and-Įverything freezes. It’s an interesting read, one Ash actually hasn’t encountered before. Picking up right where he left off, he lets the author’s words take him away. The completed book isn’t due until next week, but Ash enjoys being ahead of the game. He slides into the booth and pulls out the book for his Thursday class he started reading last night. The dark forgotten corner table is empty, and Ash wants to wait for his friend before he does anything. This makes the entire experience much more enjoyable for Ash, as he waits in line and successfully swipes in. The dining hall had been packed that first week of school, but things seem to have simmered out a bit. He can’t wait to see what Shorter will suggest they eat together today. The soft cotton keeps him warm as he trudges across campus, fresh out of a lecture on poetry and actually hungry for lunch. Despite arguing with her, he knew she would be right: he gets cold frightfully easily. The air is noticeably crisper than it was last week, and Ash begrudgingly sends a mental thanks to Jess for insisting he bring a sweatshirt to campus today. Stats: Published: Updated: Words: 38458 Chapters: 14/? Comments: 224 Kudos: 181 Bookmarks: 37 Hits: 3325 theyre all in college and having fun together.its not a slow burn or anything idk what it’s gonna be romance wise.Alternate Universe - College/University.
Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings.