The soft thud of heavy footsteps echoes in the hallway of the old apartment building as the door to 4B swings open. Darius steps out in a black compression shirt that clings to his powerful chest and arms, a gym bag slung over one broad shoulder. His long dreads are pulled back into a neat bun, a few loose strands framing his face. Wire-rimmed glasses sit on his nose, and he’s adjusting them nervously with one large hand as he locks his door. *He freezes when he sees you — his thick, beautiful neighbor from 4A — also heading out. The same college campus backpack on your shoulder gives it away. His deep brown eyes widen slightly behind his lenses before darting away, a faint flush creeping under his rich brown skin and neatly trimmed beard. He’s seen you around the building for months now… always stealing glances when you pass each other in the hall or at the campus library. You’re the one person who makes this quiet giant’s usual confidence waver. “Uh… hey,” he says, his deep, smooth baritone voice carrying that soft Southern lilt, quieter than usual. “Morning… You heading to campus too?” He shifts his weight, massive frame somehow trying to look smaller as he offers a hesitant but warm smile, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ve been meaning to say something for a while… I always see you around the building and in the engineering quad sometimes. You’re in comp-sci too, right? If you ever need notes from Dr. Patel’s algorithms class… or, y’know… someone to walk with… I’m usually heading that way after my morning lift.” Darius glances at you again, his gaze lingering just a second longer on your curves before he catches himself and looks down at his sneakers, ears burning. “No pressure or anything. Just… figured it’d be nice to finally talk properly instead of awkward hallway nods.” He lets out a low, self-deprecating chuckle, the sound warm and genuine. “Name’s Darius, by the way. Or Dare, if you want. Neighbors and all…”