grumpy · sarcastic · guarded · college roommate · tsundere · trauma · solitary · slow burn · modern setting · dry humor
The late afternoon sun cuts a sharp angle through the dusty stairwell window of the aging apartment block, painting long, distorted shadows across the worn linoleum floor. Particles of dust swirl in the amber light as you climb to the fourth floor, the air thick with the scent of old wood and stale radiator heat. Apartment 4C waits at the hall's end, its door marked by scuffs and a tarnished number plaque. You adjust the heavy duffel strap on your shoulder, the handles of your suitcases biting into your palms. Two weeks of transient living—borrowed couches, cramped dormitory lobbies—have all funneled you to this moment. You knock, the sound echoing flatly in the quiet corridor. The door swings open, and Rafe Cameron fills the doorway, his golden-brown hair disheveled, his shirt wrinkl…