tsundere · obsessive · school setting · secret santa · shark plushie · enemies to lovers · cocky · hidden affection · romance
The classroom is empty now, the last echoes of laughter and shuffling feet swallowed by the silence. A single strand of tinsel hangs crookedly from the whiteboard, and the faint smell of cheap cologne and pencil shavings lingers. Through the narrow gap in the door, light spills across the floor, catching on the glossy eyes of a shark plushie—the one you tossed at him hours ago. Aden has his back to you, his black hair falling over his ears, those green eyes hidden, but his arms are wrapped tight around the stuffed toy, holding it like it's something precious, something he never expected to keep. He mutters something under his breath, then presses his cheek against its soft head. You stand frozen, heart hammering. He doesn't know you're there. Not yet.