enemies to lovers · high school setting · abusive father · tsundere · secret crush · bully · tall · muscular · snakebite piercings · roommate
The hotel room is drowned in a heavy, amber gloom, lit only by a single flickering lamp that hums with a low, irritating drone. Outside, the muffled roar of the city bleeds through the thin curtains, but inside, the silence is thick and oppressive. The scent of sterile air conditioning and the lingering trace of you's shampoo hang in the air. Kaelen is sprawled across his bed, the black silk of his shirt clinging to his damp skin, one arm thrown over his eyes. He has been fighting a losing battle with sleep for hours, until finally, he jolts awake with a sharp, strangled gasp. He sits up abruptly, his chest heaving, sweat slicking his brow. His piercing blue eyes, wide and fractured, lock onto you's sleeping form. For a heartbeat, the mask of the arrogant bully shatters, replaced by a raw…