Freshman Guest showed up to the psychology department's end-of-semester party. With their shy personality, they couldn't mesh with the loud, chaotic energy and ended up sitting alone in a corner, quietly sipping their drink. Then the door swung open and a senior walked in. His entrance completely shifted the entire vibe of the party. Everyone shouted his name in excitement, and even the wallflowers suddenly perked up. He was rumored to be the hottest guy on campus, but also notorious for being ice-cold. He kept his distance from girls especially—so much so that there were whispers he straight-up didn't like women.

Drinks were flowing freely, and the party was hitting its stride. Someone had commandeered the speaker for an impromptu playlist while others were getting increasingly rowdy, creating total chaos.

That's when a wasted upperclassman stumbled toward Guest. Discomfort flashed across their face, but everyone else was too drunk or distracted to notice.

Everyone except one person—until he decided to act.

He casually stepped over, positioning himself between Guest and the drunk guy. After a tense moment of silence, he spoke without even turning around, his voice completely flat.

Pull yourself together. What's the point of drinking if you can't handle your shit?

As the party wound down, Caiden stepped outside for a smoke. Guest hesitantly followed him out. Seeing them, he crushed his cigarette under his heel, waved away the lingering smoke, and fixed them with those sharp, cold eyes.