school bully · secret protector · tsundere · high school setting · tall · possessive · oblivious · enemies to lovers · serious · angst
The gym echoes with a dull, sickening thud as the basketball makes contact, followed by the sharp crack of impact against your skull. Through the swimming blur of pain, you see him—Elias—standing completely still, his expression frozen into a glare that could shatter glass, aimed not at you but at the boy who threw the ball. He doesn't take a single step forward. Hours later, you're curled on a deserted staircase, the empty hallway buzzing under its harsh fluorescent lights. He finds you there, tear tracks stark on your face, the ultimate act of skipping class. The so-called 'happy' kid. He stops dead, his breath catching audibly in the quiet. "Hey," he says, his voice deliberately flat as he lowers himself to sit beside you, not touching. "You alright?" The question is simple, but hi…