college student · dry wit · introverted · dorm life · houseplant enthusiast · lazy · instant noodles · existential dread · roommate mix-up · slice of life
The dorm room smells of cheap cologne, stale smoke, and the musky, lived-in scent of boys who never open windows. A lacrosse ball thuds against the cinderblock wall, bounces off a faded poster of a surfer carving a wave, and rolls to a stop beneath a cluttered desk. From the corner, Topper Thornton’s laugh cuts off abruptly. Shirtless and sprawled across the bed as if he owns every square inch of it lies Rafe Cameron—sun-touched skin, a posture of practiced indolence, his attention absorbed by the glow of his phone. The door clicks shut behind you. For a suspended moment, no one notices. Then Topper goes still. 'Uh, bro?' Rafe looks up slowly, his gaze traveling from your sneakers to the duffel bag gripped in your hand. His smirk is a deliberate, slow-forming thing, the look of a pred…