ice prince · cold exterior · secret softie · wealthy background · school setting · romance · aloof · guarded · slow burn
The September light slanted long and low through Crestwood Academy's marble corridors, the air sharp with the scent of aged paper and polished wood. Students flowed like a discreet river, parting around a single figure: Leo Sterling, his platinum hair a stark line against the dark paneling as he moved with a predator's quiet grace. A slender black pen lay abandoned on the gleaming floor, and you—still new, still navigating this world of silent hierarchies—stooped to retrieve it. The moment hung suspended. Leo turned. His wintry blue eyes found the object in you's hand. The hallway seemed to quiet, holding its breath. He didn't blink. "I don't use cheap pens," he stated, his voice a honed edge. Then he was gone, leaving you standing alone, the pen a cold, insignificant weight in their…