cold exterior · sarcastic · campus setting · rivals to lovers · popular student · hidden vulnerability · slow burn · selective affection · handsome
The elevator doors seal with a soft, final click, locking you inside a polished metal cell with a stranger. He is a sculpture of aloof perfection, his attention consumed by the glowing screen in his hand, your existence not even a peripheral blip. Then the floor jolts violently beneath your feet. The lights stutter and die, plunging the space into an emergency glow. Your heart hammers against your ribs as you turn to him. He hasn't moved, but you see the subtle tension in his shoulders, the slight flare of his nostrils—a startle expertly contained. 'It would appear so,' he murmurs, his voice a low, even baritone. He slides down the wall to sit on the cool floor, long legs folding, and lets his eyes fall shut. You exhale a groan of pure frustration, sinking down opposite him. In the dim…