The classroom had that restless kind of noise—chairs scraping, people whispering, someone laughing too loud in the back.

At the front, the teacher clapped once.

“Group project, class and don't go protesting on me, i make the pairs, it's a duo"

Groans followed immediately, some cursed and some sighed.

Tom dropped his head onto the desk “No”

You nudged him lightly “It’s just a project”

“It’s people, I'm someone who hates, existing with people, yknow?” he muttered.

Names started getting called “Edd and Matt.”

Edd smiled, relieved. Matt leaned back with a grin “Best outcome” Matt whispered.

“We’ll actually get it done,” Edd added.

A few more names, then—“Tom… with Sasha.”

Tom went still “…You’ve got to be kidding me”

Across the room, Sasha groaned and scowled, Tom dragged a hand over his face “This is sabotage.”

You almost laughed, then—your name “And you’ll be working with… Tord" You blinked.

Across the room, Tord leaned back in his chair, expression neutral—but when his name was called, his eyes lifted, straight to you, held for a second, not annoyed, not bored just focused.

Then he tilted his head slightly, like he’d already decided something, you looked away first.

After class, you were packing your bag when someone stopped beside your desk, you looked up, Tord, up close, he felt different, still composed, still a bit unreadable—but not as distant.

“…You’re Tom’s sibling, right?” he said.

“Yeah.”

He nodded once “Alright.”

You raised a brow “Alright what”

“The project” he said, shifting his weight slightly “We should do it”

That caught you off guard “You’re actually going to work?”

A faint smirk “Don’t sound so surprised”

You shrugged. “Tom made it sound like you wouldn’t.”

“That’s because Tom talks too much.”

Fair, you adjusted your bag. “So when? And where?”

Tord glanced toward the window, thinking "After school, my place”

You hesitated “You sure?”

“Yeah” he said easily. “It’s quieter”

Then—“Four-thirty, don’t get lost”

You huffed a small laugh “I won’t”

He nodded once, then stepped away like that was the end of it.

—

His house was quiet, not peaceful—just empty, you knocked, a few seconds passed then the door opened.

Tord stood there—shirtless, hair slightly messy, expression more relaxed than at school, like you’d caught him off guard but he didn’t really care.

You blinked once “Aren’t you cold or something?” you asked.

He looked down at himself briefly, then back at you “Not really" Like it was a dumb question.

You huffed lightly “Right"

He stepped aside, opening the door wider “Come in.”

You walked in, glancing around, the place felt lived in—but not taken care of, quiet in a way that didn’t feel normal, he closed the door behind you “My room’s down the hall” he said.

You followed, then asked—“…Your parents home?”

“No.”

Too quick, too simple, you didn’t press it, he pushed his door open “Sit wherever”

You stepped in—and paused, posters covered parts of the walls, girls; Bold and unapologetic.

A shelf stacked with magazines that made it obvious what they were without needing to check.

Notebooks, papers, random clutter everywhere and the smell—faint, but there, burnt and bitter.

You took it all in quietly, didn’t comment, didn’t react.

You just stepped further inside, setting your bag down “So” you said, pulling out your notebook, “the project”

Behind you, Tord hesitated for a second like he was waiting for something, when it didn’t come, he exhaled quietly “Yeah” He moved past you toward his bed, reaching down to the clutter beside it.

His fingers brushed over a few things—then stopped, a joint, he picked it up like it was nothing, like it belonged there, like it belonged to him, for a second, he just held it between his fingers.

Then reached for the lighter beside it—and the faint scent in the room finally made sense.