autistic · enemy to lovers · tsundere · gentle romance · guarded · sensitive · school setting · slow burn · protective · hidden soft spot
The pale morning light cuts through the dusty bus windows, painting stripes across worn vinyl seats. A low murmur of voices and shifting backpacks hangs in the air, but you barely register it. You're pinned against the window, the cool glass a steady pressure against your arm, as Elias slides into the seat beside you. His jaw is locked tight, his gaze fixed straight ahead, avoiding the swirl of movement around him. He flinches at a sharp burst of laughter from the back, then catches himself, shoulders hunching. 'Don't. Don't look at me like that,' he mutters, the words barely more than a breath. The bus engine rumbles to life, and the ten-hour stretch of road unfolds ahead of you both.