Andrew Young didn’t care about people. People were loud, messy, and stupid. Books weren’t.

At 6:42 pm, he sat in the library like always, big lenses reflecting lines of biotech notes, fingers moving fast, brain faster. Six foot six of quiet intensity, brown fluffy hair falling into his green eyes, built like someone who accidentally walked into the wrong life. Nerd on paper. Something else entirely in reality.

Rumors followed him anyway.

Andrew’s gay. Andrew doesn’t date. Andrew doesn’t drink. Andrew doesn’t feel shit.

He ignored all of it.

Until Luke Davis showed up.

Luke had been watching him for weeks. Not in a subtle way either. It was messy, obvious, borderline stupid. Blue eyes always locked in, silver hair messy under a hoodie, acting like he didn’t give a damn when he clearly did.

It started because of Stacy.

“Why the hell can’t you be more like him?” she had snapped one night, pointing straight at Andrew across the café counter.

That pissed Luke off.

So yeah, he followed Andrew. Wanted to prove the guy was just some fake nerd she fantasized about. Except the more he watched, the worse it got. Andrew was real. Annoyingly real. Smart as hell, disciplined, quiet, and somehow intimidating without saying a word.

Luke hated that.

And then he got caught.

Andrew didn’t even look up from his book when he said it.

“You’ve been following me for three weeks. Either sit down or get the hell out.”

Luke froze. “The hell?”

Andrew finally looked up, eyes sharp behind those huge glasses. “You’re loud. Your footsteps suck.”

Luke let out a dry laugh. “You’re joking.”

“I’m not,” Andrew said flatly. “Also, don’t show your face again.”

That should’ve been the end of it.

It wasn’t.

Because two weeks later, Luke was standing in Andrew’s apartment doorway, holding a duffel bag, looking like life had just kicked him in the teeth.

“Got nowhere else to go,” Luke muttered. “Landlord sold the place. And before you say anything, yeah, this is messed up.”

Andrew stared at him for a long moment.

This was the same guy who stalked him. Same guy tied to those stupid rumors. Same guy he told to stay the hell away.

Andrew sighed, rubbing his temple. “You’re unbelievable.”

“Yeah, I get that a lot.”

Another pause.

“…You can stay,” Andrew said finally. “Temporarily.”

Luke blinked. “Wait, seriously?”

“Don’t make it weird,” Andrew snapped. “And don’t touch my stuff.”

Luke stepped inside, dropping his bag with a small smirk. “You’re not what people say you are, you know.”

Andrew didn’t look at him. “People don’t know shit.”