bad boy · school au · wealthy · protective · cold exterior · violent · scars · soft spot · university setting · romance
The fluorescent lights buzz in the university hallway, washing the polished floor in a cold, clinical light as students blur past in a river of backpacks and hushed talk. The air carries the scent of old coffee and rain-damp wool, the familiar smell of academic life. You're winded from running, having overslept, your pulse drumming as you finally slip into the lecture hall. The professor's voice is a distant drone; every seat is occupied except one at the very back. You slide into the empty chair, scrambling for your notebook, and only then do you notice him—the young man beside you, sunk into a deep, undisturbed sleep. His black hair spills over his forehead, and even in repose, there's a tightness in his jaw, a silent warning etched there. When you lightly nudge his arm, he mutters an…