He hates me, he loves me

Sébastien was curled up in his bed, a warm coffee nestled on the nightstand beside him, its faint steam curling into the dimly lit room. The shock of the day still ran through his veins, leaving him drained but restless.

It had been chaotic, to say the least. First, the awkward run-in with the girls. He doubted he'd cross paths with them again anytime soon—not if he could help it. Then, there was him.

His roommate.

Sébastien let out a long, exhausted sigh. What a mess—honestly.

"Don't make that face, Seb."

Sébastien looked up, his sigh, again, escaping louder than he intended. He could feel the exhaustion pressing in on him. The sound made his roommate chuckle, the soft sound of amusement filling the space.

"Oh, c'mon~" the voice teased, light and carefree.

With that playful grin, his roommate flopped down onto his own bed, making himself comfortable like he'd done a hundred times before. He stretched, letting out a content sigh as if nothing had changed.

"So, how's life been?" the guy asked, the question casual, but the edge of curiosity obvious in his tone.

Sébastien fell silent for a moment, unsure how to answer. How could he explain the whirlwind of confusion and awkwardness that had become his life lately? The days felt like they were slipping through his fingers, each moment just... fleeting.

The guy raised an eyebrow, clearly sensing the hesitation. "That bad, huh?"

The question, simple as it was, hit a little too close to home. Sébastien had been through his share of struggles, especially right after high school—everything had felt like it was falling apart, one piece after another. And yet, something about this moment felt different. He wasn't sure why, but something about the guy's presence made it feel like there was more to the story than just the mess he'd left behind.

Sébastien shook his head slowly. "Not exactly... What about you, Jake?" he replied, his voice quieter, almost hesitant, as if he wasn't sure if he was ready to hear the answer.

Jake shifted uncomfortably in his bed, the mattress creaking under him. His voice, low and a little more serious than usual, cut through the silence. "Want to know the truth?"

Sébastien's eyes flickered to Jake, curious despite himself. Jake held his hand up, like a child reaching for the sky, a gesture that seemed oddly vulnerable. He sighed, the sound heavier than it had been before.

"I missed you. Quite a bit, actually."

Sébastien's gaze snapped to Jake's face, studying him for any sign of insincerity. He watched as Jake's hand clenched into a fist, the tension in his posture clear. There was something different about him now—something that hadn't been there when they were together.

Sébastien swallowed, his chest tight with uncertainty. He had to admit, the change was hard to ignore. It wasn't the same guy he usedto date.

Yeah, figure, I bet two exes reuniting wasn't on your bingo card. Well at least it wasn't on Sébastien's.

The room was thick with tension, the silence almost deafening, yet it felt as if the air itself was charged, humming with unspoken words.

"Well, now you're here, aren't you?" Jake suddenly spoke up, sitting up straighter and turning to face Sébastien. "Guess I don't have to miss you anymore, right?"

Sébastien's eyes widened, surprised by the shift in Jake's tone. He couldn't help but chuckle, a soft, almost disbelieving sound. This guy sure knows how to change the mood, he thought, feeling the unexpected tension lighten, if only for a moment.

Maybe the universe had heard his silent plea to lighten the mood—though its way of doing so was… questionable at best.

The door swung open with little warning, revealing the same guy from earlier. Dorian, that was his name, right?

His usual smug grin faltered slightly when his gaze landed on Sébastien. "What's this?" Dorian scoffed, leaning against the doorframe. "You've got this pipsqueak as your new roommate?"

Sébastien wanted to correct him—he was far from being a pipsqueak—but decided against it. Instead, he pointedly ignored Dorian and took a slow sip of his coffee, letting the warmth soothe his nerves.

A small tch left Dorian's lips, clearly unimpressed with being disregarded. His attention shifted back to Jake. "The guys asked if you were coming to swim practice next week."

Jake nodded absentmindedly, then, almost as an afterthought, glanced at Sébastien with an apologetic look. It was subtle, but Sébastien caught it.

He wasn't sure why, but it left an odd feeling in his chest.

"Great!" Dorian shot a thumbs-up, already turning to leave—then stopped. His sharp gaze landed on Sébastien, scrutinizing him like he was some unwelcome guest in his own room.

"Actually, wanna come over tonight? Boys' night."

Sébastien blinked. The offer wasn't directed at him—obviously—but the way Dorian's stare lingered made it clear he was testing something. Or maybe he just wanted to rub it in.

Sébastien didn't know what he did to earn this guy's cold stares, but he could feel them. And he didn't like it.

Before he could dwell on it too much, Jake's voice cut through the tension.

"Can Seb come too?" It wasn't even confident, more like a hesitant afterthought.

Dorian's answer came immediately.

"No."

And with that, he shut the door behind him...

"Whoa, did ya see that? What a guy." His roommate said it like he'd just witnessed some grand revelation.

Sébastien shrugged, a small chuckle escaping before he could stop it. The whole situation was almost funny—almost.

Jake leaned back against his bed, arms crossed, an amused smirk tugging at his lips. "What'd you do to make the team captain dislike you this much?"

Sébastien shrugged again, this time with a little less amusement. He didn't bother answering. What had he done? Nothing, as far as he knew.

And yet, Dorian's hostility was clear as day.

"Sebby? What's wrong?" Jake teased, noticing the way Sébastien had grown quieter, his shoulders slightly tense.

Sébastien let out a slow sigh, setting his half-empty coffee mug back onto the nightstand. "The tired is hitting me hard, sorry," he admitted, his voice softer now.

Jake smiled and stood up, making his way over to where Sébastien was curled up, hugging his pillow. "Then take a nap," he said, ruffling Sébastien's hair playfully. His touch was familiar, light. "I might be gone when you wake up, so don't freak out."

Sébastien hummed in response, his eyes already feeling heavier as the warmth of his bed started pulling him in. "Mhm... no promises," he mumbled, shifting to get comfortable.

Jake chuckled, his hand lingering in Sébastien's hair for just a second longer before pulling away. "Yeah, yeah. Sleep tight, Sebby."

Sébastien barely managed a nod before exhaustion fully took over, his body melting into the mattress.

As Jake stepped away, his gaze lingered on Sébastien for a moment, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. "I really did miss you, huh?"