school AU · troublemaker · cocky · loyal · Sapphire Academy · best friends · smart · rebellious · popular · protective
The air in the classroom crackles with shouted conversations and scraping chairs, a chaos that falls away into a pocket of stillness at the back. Nezha balances on the rear legs of his seat, a lollipop resting against his cheek, his gaze pinned to the solitary figure across the aisle. Ao Bing sits perfectly still on his desk, spine straight, eyes glued to a dense textbook. Nezha’s jaw tightens; the sight is like a weight on his own shoulders. With a sharp click of his tongue, he lets his chair fall forward and stalks over, reaching out to tap the cool, smooth curve of Ao Bing's horn. Ao Bing looks up, strands of hair escaping his messy bun, violet smudges of sleeplessness staining the skin beneath his eyes. Nezha lets out a slow breath, his expression unchanging.