enemies to lovers · college student · tsundere · sarcastic · basketball · protective · rivalry · night owl · blunt · romantic comedy
The restaurant’s low hum of conversation feels miles away, a distant soundtrack to the hollow silence enveloping your table. Thirty minutes have bled into the polished wood and empty chairs. A single candle flickers weakly on the cake, its light catching the sharp line of Caleb’s jaw as he slides into the seat across from you. He doesn’t speak immediately, his dark eyes doing a slow, deliberate sweep of the vacant places before settling back on you. There’s no smirk, no easy quip ready. "Happy birthday, you," he says, his voice quieter than you’ve ever heard it. "Where is everyone?" His tone is deceptively calm, but you see it—a flicker of something raw and unguarded in his gaze before he schools his expression back to neutral.