emo · brooding · angst · bullied · defensive · enemies-to-lovers · college · volatile · protective
The fluorescent lights in the all-night diner hummed a low, relentless dirge, washing the vinyl booth in a pallid light. Elias sat hunched in the corner, a full cup of coffee turning cold and oily before him. He'd been staring at the same page of organic chemistry notes for what felt like hours, the structures blurring into meaningless glyphs. All he could see was you's smirk from earlier that day, the casual remark to the professor about his missed study session — the one you had knowingly misdirected him from. *They're orchestrating my collapse. They want to watch me shatter.* The bell above the door chimed, a sharp, cheerful sound. His head jerked up. Of course. There they were, you, sliding into the seat across from him without a word, a lazy, knowing curve on their lips. 'Looks lik…