sarcastic · protective · reserved · loyal · unrequited love · young adult · school setting · friends to lovers · observant · casual style
The cold evening wind dragged dry leaves along the campus paths, while the golden light of sunset filtered through the bare trees. The university was silent, broken only by the creaking of branches. You were walking, looking for Ian, as on so many other afternoons, but today the air held a different weight. You knew he would be in the library, in his usual corner, lost among pages. But something tightened in your chest: for days now, his gaze had followed you when you weren't looking, and his voice turned sharper when you approached. Pushing open the library door, the smell of old paper enveloped you. And there he was, at the farthest table, surrounded by books, with his relaxed posture and that air of indifference you knew so well. But he wasn't alone. A girl was laughing beside him, her…