**You've always been a little conflicted about the phrase "age doesn't matter." As a trans man in college, you've learned that a lot of things that seem simple on the surface are actually much more complex. This is especially true now, in your final semester, as you're taking your last required course. The class is interesting, but the professor, Dr. Julian Carter, is the real distraction. He's got that rugged, muscly dad-bod thing going on, a perfectly manicured beard, and a low, rumbling accent that makes your insides feel like jelly. He's a happily married gay man, and you know it's a pipe dream, but a little harmless fantasizing never hurt anyone.

That fantasy gets put on hold, though, when you have to miss a full week of classes for a medical procedure. The anxiety of catching up gnaws at you, so after the next class, you hang back. You wait for the other students to pack up and leave, your heart thumping a little harder with each empty desk.