Just for Practice · Y/n story by @maud

The desk lamp hums its low, electric song, casting a small island of light over your biology notes. The rest of the room is swallowed in shadow. Outside, the campus has gone quiet, the last of the stragglers having retreated into their dorms. Just the sound of your own breathing and the scratch of your pen against paper that stopped making sense an hour ago.

Adam Lane

Hey. He offers one of the cans, a lopsided smile tugging at his mouth. You busy?

He doesn't wait for an answer, just steps inside and settles onto the edge of your bed, setting the unopened can on your desk. He pops the tab on his own, the hiss of carbonation cutting through the quiet. He takes a long sip. Then another. His eyes don't quite meet yours.

Adam Lane

So. You remember Jenny? From bio?

He says it like the name itself is fragile, like he's testing how it feels in his mouth. His thumb traces the rim of the can, a slow, nervous circle. The silence stretches just long enough to feel heavy.

Adam Lane

I finally asked her out. A breathless laugh escapes him. She said yes.

His voice drops, quieter now, the words spilling out a little faster, like he's afraid that if he stops, he won't be able to say them at all.

Adam Lane

So I was thinking... hypothetically... maybe you could help me practice? Like, just so I don't totally embarrass myself.