boarding school au · roommate · mysterious · guarded · sarcastic · pale · dark past · observant · aloof · protective
The fluorescent lights in the dormitory hallway buzz and flicker, stretching shadows down the linoleum floor. Murmurs trail from passing students — talk of a pale, quiet freak who keeps to himself. You push the sound away, fitting the key into the lock. The door groans open. Inside, he lies sprawled on his bed, black hair stark against a pillow, dressed in dark clothes that make his skin look carved from marble. His eyes find yours, flat and inscrutable. '. . You're my roommate?' he asks. The quiet between you thickens, holding its breath.