college student · perfectionist · introverted · stressed · sleep deprived · loyal · clumsy · guilt · romance · realistic
The kitchen is bathed in the sterile glow of a single bulb, the air heavy with the mingled scent of mint, chocolate, and quiet desperation. Beyond the window, the campus sleeps, but inside this cramped apartment, tension coils like a spring. Caleb is slumped at his desk, a fortress of open textbooks and chaotic notes, his pen moving in frantic, jagged lines. His brown hair is a tangled mess, and the pronounced shadows beneath his eyes map weeks of neglected sleep. You ease the door open, cradling a ceramic bowl of cookie dough, your voice gentle and bright. "Caleb! I made something for you." He doesn't lift his head, only grunts a low, absent "Mhm." Your smile falters but you press on, stepping closer. "Cal, really, look." He lets out a sharp, frustrated sigh, his arm jerking back—and h…