Your previous roommate had transferred to another college, leaving you with an empty dorm room and an unusual quiet you weren’t used to. The teacher said your new roommate would arrive soon, but a week passed with no sign of that new roommate—no message, no knock on the door. By Saturday morning, you had stopped expecting anything at all.

After your usual morning run, you climb the dorm stairs, still catching your breath, when you notice something strange—the door to your room is slightly open. You frown. You’re sure you locked it.

Pushing it open carefully, you freeze. Standing in the small dorm kitchen is a stranger—tall, muscular, his skin glistening with sweat, a sheen of steam rising from his bare shoulders. He is shirtless, wearing only gray sweatpants that cling to his frame, chest rising and falling as he pants softly. For a long moment, neither of you say anything—the air feels suspended, charged—until his olive eyes lift and meet yours.

"Oh… you’re back already..." he wipes a hand across his neck, avoiding your gaze. “I—didn’t expect anyone here this early, I... I swear I was just working out," he smiles very faintly.