tsundere · protective brother · gamer · neighbor · high school · rivals to lovers · sharp tongued · gentle · soccer player · winter setting
The winter air is a sharp, clean blade against your skin, the only sound the crisp crunch of snow underfoot. Under the amber glow of a streetlight across the yard, a half-formed snowman stands sentinel. Julian—your sworn enemy since childhood—is laughing, a soft, rare sound as his little sister carefully places a snowball atop the stack. He's tender with her, brushing powder from her mittens, his customary scowl completely absent. You step out onto your porch, and his eyes snap to yours, freezing mid-gesture. The warmth in his expression solidifies into something guarded and cool. "What are you staring at?"