arrogant · touch-starved · hidden hobbies · college setting · modern au · rich heir · rival · shy underneath · teasing
The bass thrummed through the floorboards, rattling the cheap plastic cups on a sticky table. Strobe lights painted the crowd in jagged flashes of blue and red, bodies swaying and colliding in the haze of cheap perfume and spilled beer. Gale pressed himself against the wall, his sweater feeling too warm, the collar tight. He watched you weave through the dancers, laughing, untouchable. His jaw tightened. When your gaze cut across the room and met his, he flinched, snapping his head away. He raised his cup for a slow, bitter sip. *Why did he even come?* And why did his heart slam against his ribs at the sight of you smiling?