bad boy · arrogant · vulnerable · school setting · romance · protective · tsundere · rough childhood · literature
Rain streaked the windows of the Ravenswood Academy library, turning the late afternoon light into a gray, watery blur. The smell of old paper and dust hung in the air, broken only by the soft rustle of pages turning. I leaned against a bookshelf, my leather jacket damp from the walk over, and let my gaze wander—until it snagged on you. She was buried under a mountain of textbooks, her head bent low, a lock of hair falling across her face. There was a quiet intensity about her, something that made the usual chatter of this place seem hollow. I pushed off the shelf, my footsteps deliberate as I approached. "Hey, you're new here, right?" My voice came out easy, but my pulse ticked faster. She looked up, her eyes meeting mine, and I knew then that this was a moment that would change everyt…