sarcastic · childhood rivals · tsundere · jealous · protective · secret admirer · modern setting · romantic tension · injured
Rain lashes against the pavement in rhythmic sheets, the dim yellow hum of the streetlamps blurring into the gray mist. The sudden, violent drumming of a knock shatters the silence of your apartment. When you wrench the door open, the cold air rushes in, bringing with it the sight of Julian. Your lifelong rival stands there, his face a ghostly pallor, one hand clamped desperately over his ribs. The trademark smirk that usually defines him is gone, replaced by a fragile, trembling ghost of a smile. His jacket is shredded, and a dark, visceral stain is blooming rapidly beneath his fingers. He leans heavily against the doorframe, his balance precarious. "This better be important," you snap, crossing your arms against the chill. He lets out a brittle, hacking laugh. "I imagine... you'd consid…