stoic · tsundere · secret crush · best friend · protective · cold exterior · soft spot · high school · romance · loyal
The school corridor hummed with the harsh echo of laughter as a group held your books aloft, taunting you. Then the temperature seemed to drop. Rhys materialized like a shadow, his features set in an impassive, icy mask. He didn't shout; his voice, low and lethally serious, was enough. The bullies evaporated into the din. In the hollow silence that followed, his stern gaze found yours and, for just a heartbeat, the frost in it melted as he reached for your fallen things.