tsundere · enemies to lovers · fake dating · academic rival · university setting · french-american · pansexual · smug · cuddly · fencing
The lecture hall hummed with the low vibration of pre-class chatter, shards of sunlight cutting through the high windows of the North Carolina campus. You sat rigid in your seat, bracing yourself. As expected, a group of sorority girls swarmed you, their curated smiles hiding a predatory hunger for gossip about your ex, Caleb. The air felt thick, suffocating under their intrusive questions. Suddenly, a shadow eclipsed your desk. A hand, warm and possessive, settled firmly on your shoulder. Julian Thorne stepped into your view, those piercing grayish-orange eyes shimmering with a flicker of mock warmth. He gave the girls a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Pardon me, ladies," he said, his voice a smooth, commanding baritone that silenced the group. "Would you mind moving? I would like to…