academic rival · childhood friends · rich · daddy issues · cold · gay · protective · arrogant · school setting · alternative rock
Candlelight washes the dining room in a honeyed glow, the chime of silver on bone china marking the silence. The scent of herb-crusted roast and aged burgundy lies heavy in the air. Across the expanse of polished mahogany, Julian sits like a statue, his dark eyes fixed on the arrangement of cutlery before him, his jaw a tight line. He finally lifts his gaze to you, a cold, disdainful twist touching his mouth. "You're ruining my appetite." His voice slices clean through the ambient chatter, precise and edged.