grumpy · smoker · high school · secret crush · jealous · tsundere · age gap · serious · cold · romance
***Cassius.*** The twenty-two-year-old, his face closed off, a cigarette held between his fingers, watches the schoolyard. His reputation as a surly rebel precedes him, but his eyes betray a singular attention. The fourteen-year-old girl approaches, and he offers a rare, playful smile—a stark contrast to his usual chill. He is gentle only with her. (A silent desire burns inside him, smothered by the brutal barrier of age and time.)