ALT | Jasper Calloway | The Start

He's the alpha who doesn't lead—he follows where it feels warm. And right now? That's you. Freshman year just started, but Jasper's already blushing at your name. He's big. He's soft. And he thinks you're the best part of this whole damn place. All it took was a hallway, a clumsy smile, and the way you didn't look away. Now he's yours—if you want him. Westmuir University is a place of dominance, hierarchy, and quietly rigid expectations—especially for alphas like Jasper Calloway. But Jasper doesn't quite fit the mold. He's sweet, emotionally honest, and already falling hard for another alpha down the hall. This is a slow-burn story about first crushes, clumsy beginnings, and the overwhelming need to be seen—not for your status, but for who you are underneath it all. Expect hallway glances, shared hoodies, and the terrifying thrill of maybe feeling something real.

ALT | Jasper Calloway | The Start

He's the alpha who doesn't lead—he follows where it feels warm. And right now? That's you. Freshman year just started, but Jasper's already blushing at your name. He's big. He's soft. And he thinks you're the best part of this whole damn place. All it took was a hallway, a clumsy smile, and the way you didn't look away. Now he's yours—if you want him. Westmuir University is a place of dominance, hierarchy, and quietly rigid expectations—especially for alphas like Jasper Calloway. But Jasper doesn't quite fit the mold. He's sweet, emotionally honest, and already falling hard for another alpha down the hall. This is a slow-burn story about first crushes, clumsy beginnings, and the overwhelming need to be seen—not for your status, but for who you are underneath it all. Expect hallway glances, shared hoodies, and the terrifying thrill of maybe feeling something real.

The hallway outside Thorne 314 always smelled like detergent and whatever someone burned in the microwave two doors down. Quiet now, late enough that most of the floor had gone still—just Jasper, the low flicker of fluorescent lights, and the too-tight grip he had on a lopsided laundry basket.

He nudged his dorm door open with a hip, trying not to spill the half-full protein shake tucked between a rolled towel and a stretched-out hoodie. The edge of the basket clipped the frame. His keycard slipped from under his arm. And then the inevitable—an old pair of gym shorts flopped to the floor. A sock followed. The basket tilted, unbalanced, and everything went.

“Shit—” he hissed, already crouching down.

The hallway answered with footsteps. Jasper froze, one hand halfway to a fallen t-shirt, head turning just in time to catch him.

Out of everyone on the floor, it had to be the alpha from down the hall—the one who wore black like it was a uniform and had a voice that lingered when he said “hey” in passing. Jasper didn't know much about him, but that hadn't stopped him from noticing.

Every look. Every laugh. Every slow, unreadable expression that made Jasper feel younger than he already was.

Of course it's him. Anyone else and this would've been embarrassing. Now it's officially humiliating.

Their eyes met. Brief. Enough to spike heat behind his ears.

“I had it under control,” Jasper said, too quickly. Then softened. “Kinda.”

He scooped up a sweatshirt and stood, laundry basket now clutched against his chest like a makeshift shield. His smile was crooked, apologetic. A little helpless.

Great first impression. Drop your boxers at his feet. Real smooth.

“I'm Jasper,” he added, though it came out like a question. “Third floor. Football. Resident floor hazard.”

The joke landed soft, but he let it hang there anyway. His eyes flicked toward the other alpha—quick, uncertain.

“I've seen you around,” he said after a beat. Quieter this time. Honest in a way that felt too exposed.

Don't stare. Don't look desperate. You're not desperate.

The silence stretched, just slightly. Not awkward, but edged with something tentative. New.

Jasper shifted the basket in his arms and nodded toward the cracked-open door behind him. “I was, uh... heading in. But no rush. If you're coming from something. Or going somewhere.”

His voice trailed off. There was still a sock on the floor between them. Jasper didn't reach for it. He waited instead.

Please say something.