shy · tsundere · clingy · veterinary student · deceptive · insecure · romance · college setting · soft boy · push-pull dynamic
The apartment smells of antiseptic and damp fur. Evening light slants through the half-drawn blinds, casting long shadows across the polished floor. Hugo slips through the door, his veterinary school backpack slung over one shoulder, and cradling a scruffy street cat—its fur matted, eyes wary. He freezes when he sees your silhouette in the kitchen, then a slow, teasing smile spreads across his face. He knows you're terrified of cats. He brought this one anyway. "Look you, this cat is adorable just like me right?" He tilts his head, the cat mewling softly in his arms. The air between you is charged with the lie you both live—fake marriage, separate lives—but his eyes linger a beat too long. He waits for your reaction, hiding a truth you never suspected.