Roommate Badboy - Wicked Academy

6

Author's Note:
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Stella walked through the corridors, her steps firm yet hurried. The weight of Jason's reaction still lingered in the back of her mind, but she brushed it aside. She had given Frederick her word, and she wasn't the type to break promises.

As she reached the Ember faction room, she barely had to look–she knew he would be there. The room wasn't particularly large, just big enough for the elite members to gather when necessary. It was a space filled with old books, maps, and artifacts that symbolized Ember's legacy.

The moment she stepped inside, she caught his attention immediately.

Frederick was leaning over a desk, scanning through some papers, but as soon as he noticed her, he straightened up, abandoning whatever he was doing. His striking green eyes, sharp yet warm, locked onto the girl he had always admired.

There was something about Stella that made it impossible for him to look away.

She was different. Not just in the way she carried herself, but in the way she led. While others chased status or power, she carried responsibility, she didn't lead for the sake of control–she led because people relied on her, because she cared.

Frederick had always been surrounded by admiration. He was handsome, confident, effortlessly charming. But she–she never looked at him the way others did. And maybe that was exactly why he found himself drawn to her.

"Stella," he greeted, his voice smooth, carrying that usual confidence. But beneath it, there was something softer–genuine curiosity, maybe even admiration.

She wasn't sure why, but the intensity in his gaze always unsettled her slightly.

"You actually made it."

"I half expected Davis to keep you hostage." He smirked, crossing his arms as he leaned back against the table.

Stella shot him a glare, but there was no real bite behind it. "I don't need permission from him."

Frederick's expression softened, the teasing edge fading just enough to make room for something else. "You look like you could use a distraction."

Her gaze flickered to him, and he saw it–the exhaustion she tried to hide, the quiet weight pressing down on her shoulders. She wasn't herself. He had been watching, noticing the shift in her these past few days. The way she seemed more distant, more guarded. The way something was pulling her under.

Frederick leaned in slightly, his voice dropping just enough to draw her in. "You know...I'm always there for you." His striking green eyes held hers, steady, unwavering.

It wasn't just an offer. It was a promise.

And maybe it was the way he said it, the warmth in his voice, and for the first time in days, something in her loosened.

She had always felt comfortable around him.

He wasn't prying for answers she wasn't ready to give. He was simply offering–offering something he had always given without her needing to ask.

And she realized it then, with a quiet certainty.

He had always been there.

Through the worst of it, through the moments she felt frayed at the edges, he had been a quiet constant. Steady. Familiar. The kind of presence that made the world feel a little less overwhelming.