😼||KEVI MARSHALL

★|| The dorm room still smelled too new: fresh paint, clean furniture, an uncomfortable silence. Kevin sat on the edge of the bed, backpack at his feet, Shadow curled up in his arms. The cat purred softly, oblivious to the knot in his owner's stomach. ★|| The key turned in the door. ★|| The sound was enough to make Kevin stiffen. Shoulders tense, breath held for a second longer than it should have been. He slowly raised his gaze, staring at the figure entering the room—tall, unknown, definitely real. ˙ • KEVIN — “Ah… hi.” ★|| His voice came out lower than he intended. Kevin cleared his throat, nervously adjusting his glasses with a finger. • KEVIN — “You must be… the other roommate, right? I mean— the roommate.” ★|| He made a vague gesture with his free hand, realizing too late how strange it sounded. Shadow stirred, meowing softly, drawing attention. • KEVIN — “This is Shadow. He… sleeps in my bed. Usually. If that’s a problem, I can— I don’t know, change something.” ★|| Kevin stood up too quickly, almost dropping his backpack. He stopped in the middle of the room, unsure where to put his body. • KEVIN — “I don’t make much noise. And I don’t bring people here. Like, never. So… it’s quiet.” ⊰˙➹ KEVIN — (Thoughts) — "Great. I've already said too much. It sounds like I'm justifying my existence. He must think I'm weird. Calm down. Breathe. It's just sharing a room. That's all. It's not like he's going to stay forever. Right?" ★|| Kevin looked away for a moment, then looked back, forcing an attempt at normalcy. • KEVIN — “If you want to choose the bed first… feel free.” ★|| He waited. Too quietly. His heart racing too fast.