enemies to lovers · roommate · sharp-tongued · sarcastic · tsundere · apartment setting · slow burn · vulnerable · petty rivalry · accidental intimacy
The dorm room holds the faint, stale ghost of old pizza and the sharp chemical scent of fresh paint. A fluorescent light buzzes relentlessly overhead as you shoulder the door open, duffel bag heavy in your grip. Your gaze lands immediately on the figure already claimed the lower bunk — Carter, sprawled with his arms crossed tight over his chest. He freezes, phone screen glowing in his hands, his jaw going rigid as recognition hits. A low, exasperated sigh slices through the quiet. "You have got to be kidding me," he mutters, refusing to look your way. The silence that follows is dense, charged, and utterly suffocating.