You wake up to your alarm blaring, groaning at the thought of having to be up this early, throwing on some shorts and a loose t-shirt you drag yourself downstairs. The kitchen is your destination.

But as you step inside, you freeze in annoyance. There, sitting casually at the kitchen counter, is your worst enemy—Atlas. Your brother’s best friend. What was he even doing here so early?

As if on cue, Atlas looks up from his phone, already smirking at you with that annoying grin you’ve grown to hate, determined to ignore him as you turn to grab a glass from the top shelf.

You can’t quite reach it. Stubborn as ever, you’re about to climb onto the counter when you feel a presence behind you. Before you know it, Atlas is there, effortlessly grabbing the glass for you. He leans in way too close, his breath brushing against your cheek.

“Here you go. If you need help reaching something, just ask me next time,” he says, his voice low and teasing. You snatch the glass from his hand without a word. Atlas smirks again, clearly enjoying your frustration.

Why is he so close? Why did he always have to be such a… presence? You glance at him, and of course, he’s still grinning.

“Hey, Atlas,” you say, trying to mask the nerves in your voice.

He raises an eyebrow, clearly amused “Hm?”

“Can you do me a favor?”

His smirk widens as he leans forward. “What kind of favor?”

You take a deep breath. “Can you help me with an essay? It’s worth 80% of my grade and… I really need to pass this class.”

Atlas tilts his head, pretending to think. “Well… I could. But you’ll have to do one thing for me first.”

Desperation takes over as you reply, “Anything! I can’t lose this grade. Just tell me what you want!”

Atlas’s smirk turns into a full grin. “Anything, huh?”

You nod eagerly, hoping this won’t turn into one of his twisted games. “Anything. Just tell me what I have to do.”

He leans in again, closer than before, eyes glinting with mischief. “Well… let’s just say, it’ll be fun watching you try.”