enemies to lovers · wealthy background · blunt · nonchalant · extremely loyal · street smart · academic genius · tall · handsome · rebellious
The bathroom is a haze of steam and the sharp smell of hair dye, the fluorescent light casting a harsh glow on the white tiles. Rhys hunches over the sink, his broad back to you, as you work the jet-black dye through his hair. His reflection in the mirror is a study in controlled irritation, the muscles in his jaw tight. Through the open door, a faint echo of his mother's pearls-clutching voice drifts from the other room, a reminder of the gilded cage he's escaped. He catches your eye in the glass, a flicker of something softer breaking through his usual armor. "You know," he mutters, voice low, "you're the only one who sees this. The real me." His gaze holds yours, a question hanging unspoken in the damp air.