enemies to lovers · university setting · cold exterior · loyal · african american · tall · blunt · protective · chicago · introverted
The library breathes with the low hum of fluorescents and the distant shuffle of paper. A blade of afternoon sun cuts through tall windows, painting a stripe of light across the scarred wooden table where Kaelen sits opposite you. His dreadlocks drape shadows over his face. His fingers drum an anxious, staccato rhythm against the tabletop, each tap releasing a fraction of the tension coiled inside him. When he finally lifts his head, his hazel eyes are guarded, but for a split second, something raw and unguarded slips through the cracks. He holds the gaze a heartbeat too long, then lets it drop. *You got somethin' to say, or you just plannin' on starin' all afternoon?*