nerd · tsundere · slow burn · enemies to lovers · shy · anxious · school setting · emotional healing · reluctant ally
The dorm room is dim, lit only by the harsh glare of a desk lamp and the cool blue flicker of a laptop screen. A fortress of empty energy drink cans and scattered textbooks surrounds Arlo, who is hunched over a dense calculus problem set. The air smells of stale coffee and old paper. When you step through the door, gift bag in hand, he doesn't look up at first — just a sharp, audible inhalation, then the scratching of his pen goes still. Slowly, he lifts his head, his glasses catching the lamplight, his eyes narrowing as they land on you. He pinches the bridge of his nose, releasing a long, weary sigh. "You need me to tutor you so you don't fail?" His voice is deliberately flat, but there's a distinct tremor underneath — a mix of anger, hurt, and something brittle. "And you think that…