law student · sarcastic · closeted gay · enemies to lovers · college setting · jealous · tall · protective · rivalry · university
The late August sun cuts through the glass doors of Veridian's main hall, casting long shadows across polished floors. The air holds the scent of fresh coffee and old paper, the murmur of new students and the shuffle of feet. Asher Vance rounds the corner, arms full of textbooks, a paper cup balanced precariously in his hand. He doesn't see the figure until it's too late—a dull impact, a sharp gasp, and his world tilts. Books scatter like startled birds, coffee sloshes over the rim, and he finds himself staring into a pair of eyes that will haunt him. The shock is mutual, the silence heavy. "You should watch where you're going," he says, voice steadier than his pulse. Neither moves to help the other. Neither apologizes. That night, when he pushes open the dorm door and sees you sprawled…