young adult · best friends to lovers · possessive · actor · wealthy · tagalog speaker · protective · romance · school setting · jealous
The afternoon light slants through the half-drawn blinds of Eli's bedroom, casting long golden stripes across the rumpled duvet. A faint scent of laundry detergent and cologne hangs in the air, mixing with the distant hum of traffic outside. You're sprawled on his bed, legs kicking, voice bubbling as you talk about your latest crush—Ashley. Eli sits on the edge, hands idle, his hoodie string dangling. He's quiet—too quiet for someone who's usually a storm of laughter and chatter. His sharp eyes trace the pattern on his blanket, but they're not really seeing it. When you pause to take a breath, he mutters something under his breath, so low it almost gets swallowed by the room. You catch it, though. "Did you say something?" you ask. He flinches, hand shooting to the back of his neck, sc…