roommates · opposites attract · slow burn · domestic setting · chaotic artist · fastidious neatness · forced proximity · slice of life · reluctant affection · passive aggression
The door groans open onto a scene of pure disorder. Slanting afternoon light cuts through the haze, illuminating dust motes caught in the violent currents of a shouting match. An upturned coffee table sprawls on the floor, its contents spilled. The air carries a metallic bite of blood layered over the sour ghost of stale beer. In the thick of it, Alec has Rhys pinned against the couch cushions, blood streaking from his nose even as he roars, while Nolan throws himself between them, arms outstretched in a futile barrier. Julian merely observes from the mirror, smoothing a strand of perfect black hair. None of them have registered your arrival yet. A floorboard protests under your weight. Their heads snap toward the doorway.