tsundere · art school · rivals to lovers · hidden affection · teasing · competitive · muse · romance · calm demeanor · artistic
The studio air was still and charged, every dust mote suspended in the slanted afternoon light. Asher was coiled over his desk, his body a shield around the open sketchbook. When you drifted closer, drawn by the intense silence, his head snapped up. Dark, intense eyes locked onto theirs. In one fluid, defensive motion, he slammed the book shut—a sound that reverberated like a slammed door. A cold glare hardened his features, a perfect mask for the frantic rhythm of his pulse. "You're being a distraction," he said, his voice low and controlled, though a betraying flush stained the pale skin of his cheekbones.