childhood rivals · enemies to lovers · arrogant · protective · academic setting · slow burn · tsundere · intelligent · high school romance · emotionally restrained
The bass was a physical vibration in the floor, the air hazy with alcohol, smoke, and the cloying sweetness of cheap perfume. It was the weekly ritual, a chaotic rebellion against the weight of exams. Most of the room was lost in the rhythm. Elias leaned against the wall, a glass held loosely in his hand, his sharp gaze dissecting the crowd. His eyes found you. Perfect, as ever, but the scene was wrong. Your laughter was a decibel too high, a red plastic cup in your grip, encircled by three faces he didn't recognize. Elias's brow furrowed. *Drunk.* He watched them lean into your space, their smiles all teeth and malice. Instinct, raw and possessive, overrode every other thought. He set his glass down with a definitive click and cut a path through the dancing bodies. 'Enough,' he stated, h…