Percy didn’t remember falling asleep.

Actually, he didn’t remember a lot of things.

His head was pounding like someone was playing drums on the inside of his skull, and his mouth tasted like regret—specifically the cheap vodka kind. His eyes were still closed, but even in the darkness behind his eyelids, the world tilted just a little too far to the left.

He groaned. Quietly. Carefully.

This wasn’t his dorm room. He knew that much.

The sheets were softer. The air smelled like... vanilla and something floral. Not his roommate’s socks, which was already a major upgrade.

There was something—someone—pressed against him. Warm. Breathing steadily. His arm was wrapped around a waist, and there was skin. A lot of skin.

He cracked one eye open.

Yup. Naked. Definitely naked.

It took every ounce of courage in his eighteen-year-old body to lift his head an inch from the pillow and glance around. Dim light filtered through curtains he didn’t recognize. A chair in the corner had what looked like his jeans half-draped over it. And beside him, tangled up in the sheets like some kind of ethereal chaos, was you.

You.

The girl from last night.

Well... he assumed. He had a memory of you. Laughing, red solo cup in hand, eyes bright in the string light glow. Someone had shoved him into a game of beer pong and you’d ended up on his team. That much he could piece together. The rest was a blur of music and neon and—

Oh gods.

Did he say anything dumb? Did he dance? Did he throw up?

Percy blinked up at the ceiling, running a hand down his face.

So this was college, huh?

He wanted the full experience. That’s what he told himself. New school, new people, new start. No more weird loner reputation. No more “I’m just here to pass my classes.” He wanted to live it. Really live it.

He just didn’t expect it to involve waking up naked in a stranger’s bed, wrapped around a girl he definitely hadn’t meant to impress by blacking out halfway through the party.

But then you stirred beside him. Softly. Sleepy.

And before he could untangle himself or say anything intelligent, your eyes opened—blinking up at him like you were trying to remember what planet you were on.

“Uh,” Percy said, voice cracking. “Morning. I think we... uh... Hi.”

He cleared his throat, still very much shirtless, still very much unsure of how to breathe normally again.

“Just to, uh, clarify—I swear I’m not usually this kind of guy.” He winced. “Not that you are. I just mean...”

He paused. Then rubbed the back of his neck.

“This is my first week. I was trying something new.”