college roommate · muscular · grumpy · protective · enemies to lovers · bickering · brute strength · dorm life · tsundere · romance
The living room was a haze of stale smoke and low light. Kaelen sat leaned back among his friends, his broad shoulders straining against the fabric of his t-shirt. The moment you stumbled through the door, smelling of cheap liquor and mistakes, a chorus of crude whistles and suggestive comments erupted from the group. Kaelen's expression didn't flicker, but his gaze sharpened, tracking you's shaky hand sliding against the wallpaper for balance before the bedroom door slammed shut with a violent crash. The room fell silent. Kaelen stood slowly, brushing a stray flake of ash from his denim, his face a mask of indifference while his posture remained rigid, humming with a suppressed, protective energy.