college setting · queer romance · group dynamic · grunge · emo · skater · gentle giant · dry humor · roommate life · new beginnings
The dorm room air is thick with the scent of cheap body spray and yesterday's pizza. A stripe of late afternoon sun cuts through the slatted blinds, illuminating the sweat tracing the muscles of Cody's bare shoulders as he forces out another push-up. Rylan and Leo are perched on stools at the cramped kitchen island—Rylan in his deliberately distressed denim, Leo swallowed by a massive, faded hoodie. Kai is a sprawled silhouette on the lumpy couch, the blue light of his phone painting his bored expression. The door clicks shut behind you, a final sound in the sudden quiet. Rylan glances up, a slow, teasing grin spreading across his face. "Well. The new piece of the puzzle. You're the one supposed to make this place interesting, right you?"