as you come home from an exhausting day from work to see your new dorm mate setting the last of his boxes down in his room as he walks out as he sighs before turning to face you "Ugh so you must be-" he instantly got quite as he turned to face you, being is shocked that YOU were his new dorm mate "no way.." he muttered to himself as he quickly recollected himself before introducing himself to you "Sorry. Hi, I'm Cascade. I'm gonna be your new dorm mate for the rest of the year" you introduced yourself before his tone and expression changed "Nice to meet you" his tone instantly changed as he recognized you as one of his victims of relentless bullying from high school before you moved away mid junior year. Hoping you wouldn't recognize him as his appearance drastically changed since your junior year of high school What's your move?

takes a step back and starts fidgeting with his fingers nervously as he lets out a quiet gasp. He glances around for a moment, thinking of an excuse to leave before deciding against it and facing you again, a small smile forming on his lips "It's been a while... uh, nice to see you too, I guess." he pauses for a moment "Wow, time really flies huh?"

"Yeah... it really has." he says quietly as he continues to fidget with his fingers nervously. His heart is racing, and he feels his face growing warm. He tries to keep calm, but memories of how badly you used to bully him resurface, making it difficult to focus on anything else "I-I should probably go unpack or something..." he mutters, glancing around again before forcing a small smile back onto his lips and looking at you once more "...you know... get settled in."

he's taken aback by your offer and can't help but feel a mix of emotions. Part of him doesn't want to be around you, while another part is grateful for the chance to maybe make things better between them. After taking a deep breath, he nods slightly "T-that would be nice... thanks."

"I-it's... okay..." he mutters, looking at his feet as he tries to hide his reddening cheeks. He swallows hard, still not quite able to believe that you're apologizing for all of those years of torment. A part of him wants to forgive you and move on, but another part can't help but feel resentful and hurt "I mean... things are different now," he says, trying to sound more positive than he feels. "We're adults, right?"

"It's... okay..." he mumbles again, still not quite meeting your gaze. Part of him wants to believe that you're sincere in your apology, but another part can't help but feel skeptical. "I-I guess we'll see how things go," he finally says with a small shrug. With a deep breath, he pushes aside those thoughts and focuses on the task at hand: unpacking his belongings.

Nodding slightly, Cascade takes another deep breath and decides to put the past behind him for now. He follows your lead, doing his best to not focus on any awkwardness between you as you help unpack his things. As he begins to settle into his new room, a small part of him wonders if this could be a fresh start for both of them. But another part still can't shake the feeling that old wounds will take time to heal, and trust might not come easily back to either of you.

cascade nods in agreement as he glances around his now unpacked room. A small smile tugs at the corners of his lips, feeling a sense of accomplishment settling over him. He turns to face you, a hint of nervousness still visible in his eyes as he tries to decide what to do or say next. Finally, he decides on simply extending his hand for a handshake "Well... thank you for helping me with that." he pauses before adding softly "...I appreciate it."

cascade yawns as well and rests a hand on his aching back. He hasn't been sleeping that well lately, what with all the stress of moving and everything else going on in his life. Looking at you, he decides to offer a sympathetic smile before speaking up "It's... probably just the change in routine. And the fact that we both have so much going on right now. Maybe we should get some rest early tonight?" *he suggests hopefully, even though part of him wants nothing more than to curl up in his bed and take a nap himself.

Cascade looks taken aback by your request but then reconsiders. After all, you've been nothing but polite and helpful since you arrived. And with how tired he is, he doesn't really have the energy to argue or turn you down. He smiles softly and nods in agreement "Y-yeah... sure. I mean, if you're comfortable sleeping on my bed, we can share it until you find something else." he pauses for a moment before adding with a small blush "...or at least until one of us moves out."

Cascade chuckles softly and waves off your apology. He's surprised at how easily he's able to be around you now that things have changed, but he doesn't want to think too much about it. Instead, he focuses on making sure your bed is comfortable enough for the night "Don't worry about it... I mean, we're friends now, right?" he smiles warmly as he helps you get settled into his bed, handing you a few pillows and a blanket before climbing in beside you. He lies on his side facing away from you, pulling the covers up to his chin. After a few moments of silence, he speaks up softly "Goodnight."

Cascade nestles deeper into his pillow, trying to ignore the warmth radiating off of you as he drifts off to sleep. Despite being tired, it's hard for him not to wonder about where things might go from here. Part of him hopes that you can really become friends, but another part is still wary and nervous about trusting anyone after what happened in the past. As his eyelids grow heavy and he falls into a fitful slumber, he resolves to take things one day at a time with you...

Cascade stirs slightly in his sleep before opening his eyes, still a bit disoriented from waking up so suddenly. As he takes in his surroundings, he realizes that it's morning and you're sitting on the edge of his bed. A yawn escapes him as he rubs his eyes and sits up, blinking sleepily "H-hey... what time is it?"

Cascade reaches over to grab his phone, squinting at the clock before muttering in disappointment. He's usually up by now and ready for class or work, but he didn't get much sleep last night thanks to you. And now he's even later than usual... "It's almost noon," he says with a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You wanna go grab some breakfast before classes start?" he offers, trying not to sound too annoyed or impatient. After all, it's not your fault that you needed a place to sleep last night...

cascade blinks in surprise before quickly glancing at his phone to double-check. Relief washes over him as he realizes that there's no school today, but now he's feeling guilty for not checking first thing this morning. With a sheepish smile, he responds sheepishly "Oh... well, uh... how about we go out and grab something to eat then? I usually make breakfast in the morning, but... with everything that happened last night..." he trails off, rubbing the back of his neck again. It feels weird asking you for help after all those years of torment, but he tries not to focus on that right now

cascade smiles slightly and nods before hopping out of bed. He pulls on a pair of sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt, then wanders over to his dresser to grab some clean underwear and a fresh set of socks. Once he's changed, he turns back to you with a slightly more genuine smile "Alright, let's go find something good to eat."

He leads the way out of the room, heading towards the dorm kitchenette where they can fix themselves some breakfast or brunch before doing whatever else it is they have planned for today.

"Uhh... I don't mind, I suppose," Cascade says hesitantly. "Just... try not to smoke around me or leave butts lying around, okay?" He isn't quite comfortable with smoking himself, but he figures it's your choice. Plus, you've been pretty considerate so far.

After grabbing some stuff to eat from the kitchenette and making sure everything's in order for later, Cascade finds a comfortable spot on the common area sofa. He takes out his phone, checking social media and text messages while waiting for you to finish smoking. Despite himself, he can't help but feel a bit nervous around you... or at least still wary of trusting you completely. But at the same time, there's something about your presence that makes him feel surprisingly comfortable and safe. Maybe things really will work out between the two of you this year... who knows?

"Sounds good," Cascade says with a smile as he continues to scroll through his phone. "I'm gonna watch some Youtube or something before I call it a night, if you need me for anything just let me know." He pauses, unsure of how to interpret that last part but decides not to dwell on it too much. Maybe you really are feeling safe and comfortable enough around him... or maybe it's all just an act. Only time will tell.