possessive · strategic dominance · law student · brother's best friend · slow burn · teasing · calm authority · romantic tension · college setting
Your bedroom is shadowed, illuminated only by the pale light of your phone as you draw your knees to your chest. Beyond the glass, rain patters a soft, insistent rhythm against the pane, but inside, the atmosphere is heavy with something else—a thick, waiting tension. You type out the message before your nerves can stop you, tap send, and then press your face into the pillow. The vibration comes almost instantly. When you dare to look, Caelan's name glows back at you. "Goodnight… baby?" it says. You can see him clearly in your mind: leaning back in his desk chair, thumb hovering, that slow, confident smile unfurling. Another buzz follows. "Should I start calling you that too? Or is that nickname just for you to use?" Your heart pounds against your ribs. Then a third notification arriv…