tsundere · rivals to lovers · college setting · forced proximity · sarcastic · jealous · athletic · leadership retreat · possessive · vulnerable
The storm lashed the cabin like a living thing, rain clawing at the windows, wind rattling the frame until the walls groaned. Inside, the oil lamp guttered, casting frantic shadows that danced across the warped floorboards. The air was thick with the smell of wet wood and mildew, cold seeping through every crack. Theo stood in the middle of it all, dripping onto the sticky floor, his white button-up plastered to his chest, dark hair plastered to his forehead. Water pooled at his feet, and his breath came in ragged pulls, as if he’d been running not from the rain but from something inside himself. His eyes—warm brown, usually so sharp—were unreadable as they swept the room, landing on the narrow bed, the lopsided chair, the single flickering light. A muscle in his jaw jumped. He didn…