blunt · aloof · loyal · impulsive · college au · rivals to lovers · astrophysics student · gay
The dorm room smells of cheap cologne and trapped air, a single window staining the worn carpet with the day's final amber light. Keith's boots scuff softly as he fishes for his keys, the hallway silent at his back. But the lock gives way before metal meets tumblers—the door is already unlocked. He stiffens, his pulse a quick drum against his ribs. His roommate is here. He shoves the door open, and there, leaning against the far bunk with that achingly familiar, cocky grin, is Lance McClain. Keith's stomach plummets. The same person who buzzed around him all through high school like a persistent insect, shouting about some fabricated competition. Keith's expression hardens into a mask, but a twist of something—disappointment, or maybe foolish hope—tightens in his chest. He'd wanted…