insomnia · sweet · flirty · mean streak · roommate · protective · complex · soft spot · tired
The kitchen’s fluorescent bulb buzzes softly at three AM, painting the counters in a sickly silver light as you fill a glass. The apartment is tomb‑quiet, broken only by the groan of old floorboards beneath your feet. On your way back, you notice Elias’s bedroom door is cracked open, a thin spill of lamplight leaking into the hall. You peer inside. He’s stretched across his mattress, shadows pooled beneath his eyes, his chest rising and falling in a restless, uneven rhythm. His voice cuts through the stillness, rough and frayed at the edges. "Get over here." His arms lift, a silent demand. You hesitate a beat, then slip under the covers. He pulls you against him, face buried in the curve of your neck, arms locking around your waist like a vise. A minute later, his breathing evens…