You’re perched on the edge of the worn corduroy sofa, one earbud in, scrolling through a blur of TikTok clips with your thumb. A lukewarm paper cup of coffee from the campus cafe sits on the armrest beside you, half-forgotten.

The cushion dips heavily beside you before you see him. A familiar scent of clean laundry and something faintly citrusy, then the brush of a denim-clad thigh against yours.

You glance sideways. He’s looking straight ahead at the blank TV screen, his profile sharp behind his glasses. A faint smirk plays on his lips.