Chapter 3

The alarm Sudan had set went off by 6:30 a.m filling their room with a loud beeping that wouldn't go off, Zach groaned and rolled burying his head under the pull-ups.

“Turn it off”, he grunted annoyed, his voice thick and laced with sleep. 

Sudan was already up using his hand to reach for the alarm so he could turn it off, when it went off he sat up on the edge of his bed ready to begin his day. 

“Thanks.” Zach muttered, peeking out from beneath the pillow. “You always up this early or you got somewhere to be?”

Sudan didn’t answer right away, he just stared out the small window, his dark eyes fixed on the pale morning light spilling over the campus. He finally replied “Old habit.”

Zach pushed himself upright, yawning loudly and stretching his arms above his head. “Man, I don’t know how you do it. Back home, I’d sleep until noon if I could.”

Sudan glanced at him, expression unreadable. “You’d miss half the day.”

“That’s kind of the point,” Zach said with a grin, hoping to coax a reaction but Sudan simply stood and walked to his neatly folded stack of clothes pulling out a clean shirt and a pair of jeans.

Zach’s grin faltered a little, he was really trying to be close to Sudan but Sudan was a mystery he couldn’t quite solve. They’d been roommates for almost a month now, and while they got along well enough, Zach knew practically nothing about him. 

Sudan kept his side of the room spotless, spoke only when necessary and seemed to carry some invisible weight on his shoulders. There was something about him that drew Zach in, even when he tried to ignore it.

“Hey, you mind if I shower first?” Zach asked, swinging his legs out of bed.

Sudan shook his head. “Sure, go ahead I’ll just arrange my backpack while I wait for you”

Zach nodded and walked towards the bathroom, before he got into the bathroom he caught sight of Sudan pulling his shirt over his head. He hadn’t meant to stare but then his eyes had a mind of theirs, they had betrayed him and goggled those piece of nice abs. For a moment, he froze. Heat pulling between his legs as his cock went solid hard. 

Sudan’s back was lean and strong, the muscles defined under smooth, tan skin. There were faint wounds there, almost like scars, barely visible unless you looked closely. Zach’s stomach tightened unexpectedly, his breath catching in his throat.

He forced himself to look away, clearing his throat. “Uh… cool. Thanks, I’ll be out in a jiffy”

Sudan was oblivious so he didn’t seem to notice his reaction, he slipped out of his pants with quick movement and was just in shorts, completely at ease in his own skin.

Zach ducked into the bathroom and shut the door behind him, leaning back against it for a second as he exhaled. Get a grip, he told himself. He’s your roommate, you can’t have such thoughts about him, you’re definitely not allowed to.

He couldn’t stop the way his thoughts drifted back to that brief glimpse, or the quiet strength in the way Sudan carried himself. He washed his body with the thoughts of him, stroking his cock as he did. 

When Zach emerged 5 minutes later, towel draped around his neck, Sudan was already waiting for him at the door with a towel draped dangerously low across his waist. 

He swallowed and walked out giving Sudan access to the bathroom to wash up. He came out few minutes and began to dress up. Before Zach could count to 10 Sudan was already at the small desk, lacing up his sneakers. His bed was perfectly made, every corner tucked with military precision.

“You’re like the most organized person I’ve ever met,” Zach said, pulling on a hoodie. “My mom would love you, She’s always telling me I live like a slob.”

Sudan didn’t look up, he replied him, his hands occupied “Clean space, Clear mind.”

“Right,” Zach said, smirking. “Guess that explains why my mind’s always a mess.”

For a fleeting second, he thought he saw the corner of Sudan’s mouth twitch upward, a smile but it quickly disappeared before he could say anything about it. It made Zach’s chest feel weirdly light, Sudan was slowly opening up to him.

They packed their bags in silence, preparing for their first class of the day. Sudan moved around the room like he had the blueprint at the back of his while Zach fumbled around trying to find his missing notebook.

“Dude, I swear this room eats my stuff,” Zach grumbled, crouching to peer under his bed. “Have you seen a black notebook anywhere?”

Sudan bent down, reached beneath Zach’s pile of clothes, and pulled the notebook out without a word.

“Oh. Uh, thanks.” Zach laughed awkwardly as he took it. “You’d make a great detective.”

Sudan gave him a neutral look that made Zach’s laugh fade. “I just pay attention.”

There it was again , that weight in his tone the shadow that seemed to cling to him whenever he said certain things. Zach didn’t know what Sudan’s past was, but he knew it wasn’t simple. He always walked with a chip in his shoulder.

On their way out, Zach grabbed two granola bars from his desk and tossed one to Sudan. “Breakfast of champions,” he said.

Sudan caught it easily but didn’t eat it, he studied it like he was just handed a bomb that could take out millions in a second “You always eat like this?”

“Pretty much,” Zach said with a shrug. “We’ll grab real food after class, I promise.”

Sudan slid the bar into his bag without comment, then held the door open for Zach nodding.

They got back from school and Sudan excused himself saying he needed to go for a walk. 

When he left Zach studied the room and pushed himself on the bed needing release, staying in a room with Sudan was not really a walk in the park. It was agonizing and painfully arousing….all the time.