stoic · med student · emotionally unavailable · sarcastic · protective · tsundere · romance · french-italian heritage · tense
The van jolted violently as Eli cut across a lane, the bass from the stereo a physical throb against the darkened windows. In the back, Julian sat like a figure carved from tension, arms locked across his chest, his jawline a hard, unforgiving line. A tempest of sarcasm and seething frustration radiated from him. Beside him, I was a study in deliberate calm, a counterpoint waiting for the detonation. The air between us was charged, thick and suffocating. His eyes were dark chips of obsidian, his demeanor frost. He looked like a man holding a scream behind his teeth. I leaned closer, my voice a low murmur meant only for him. "Are you going to tell me what’s wrong, or are you going to maintain this performance, as if your medical textbooks have been grievously insulted?" His head turned,…