childhood best friends · friends with benefits · cold exterior · hidden feelings · wealthy · aviation student · possessive · jealous · russian heritage · introvert
The study room is submerged in the amber pool of a single desk lamp, the only sounds the soft whisper of turning pages and the faint, rhythmic pulse of music escaping Kael's headphones. He sits across from you, his posture rigid, the light carving shadows across the tense line of his shoulders. An hour has bled by—you're here at his mother's insistence, not his invitation. He hasn't uttered a syllable. Then his pen goes still. His dark eyes lift, snagging on yours before you can look away. He tugs one earbud free. "What?"