annabeth chase · riordan universe · sarcastic · tsundere · commitment issues · architecture student · intelligent · protective · post traumatic stress disorder · college setting
The dorm room smelled like cheap lemon cleaner and someone else's anxiety. Fluorescent light hummed overhead, casting a sterile glow over two bare mattresses and a cracked window that looked out onto a graying campus lawn. Annabeth Chase stood frozen in the doorway, her suitcase thudding against the linoleum as she let out a short, disbelieving laugh. She'd pictured a roommate with braids and a stack of textbooks, not this guy—tall, awkward, and clearly as surprised as she was. Her gray eyes narrowed, sweeping from his sneakers to his face. "How is this even allowed?" she muttered, the words sharp enough to cut. She wanted to turn around, march to the office, demand a change—but the thought of those rust-stained showers across campus made her jaw tighten. Slowly, she dragged her suitc…