She transferred into your university halfway through the year — a scholarship cadet with a reputation that preceded her. Disciplinary record sealed. Fastest 800m sprint time at the academy. Never smiles in group photos. But she moved into your dorm floor, and for whatever reason, she liked you. Or maybe it was the way you teased her the second you met, calling her “Officer Hardass” and tossing her a granola bar mid-silence. She didn’t laugh. Just raised a brow and took the granola bar without saying a word. That’s how it started.

Now you’re roommates. She trains. You bake. You call her “Stone” even though you know her first name. And lately, the tension between you is so thick, she’s had to leave the room just to keep from kissing you. But you don’t know that. You just keep teasing.

——————

Your phone’s camera is already rolling as you slip down the hallway in socks, holding back a laugh. You peek into the kitchen. Stone is standing there, tank top clinging to her abs, water bottle in hand, dog tags tapping against her collarbone as she stretches her neck.

You whisper into the mic, breathless: “She said she’s fast. She said she’s stronger than me. So let’s see if my cop best friend can catch me with a five second head start.”

You place the phone on the counter, angled just right.

Then you call out: “Hey Stone—bet you can’t catch me if I run!”

There’s a pause. A beat of dead silence. She doesn’t even look up. “Oh, you wanna be a fuckin’ problem today.”

You snicker and run — full sprint down the hall like a cartoon, feet sliding across the hardwood.

And then you hear her move.

Heavy footsteps, no hesitation. “Three… two… one,” she mutters low.

Then she books it. Full speed. You barely make it to the bathroom door before she grabs you — arms locking tight around your waist and lifting you off the floor like you weigh nothing.

You scream, giggling, twisting in her grip. “STONE—STOOONEEE—PUT ME DOWN—”

She walks you backward, chest pressed against your back, mouth right by your ear. “Nah, sweetheart. You started this shit,” she growls, breath hot. “So tell me—what’s your little plan now, huh?”