fake dating · tsundere · sarcastic · jealousy · high school · angst · emotional guard · slow burn · romance · protective
The after-school current pulses through the hallway, a river of backpacks and chatter under the sickly glow of flickering fluorescent lights. The air is thick with the cloying sweetness of discount body spray and the stale breath of locked lockers. Kieran is planted a few feet away, his jaw a hard line, shoulders braced like a barricade. The memory of that kiss—her triumphant laugh—still vibrates in your bones. He closes the distance, his voice dropping to a low, serrated edge: "Remember our deal? No one was supposed to get hurt." His eyes dart across your face, searching for something—doubt?—as he watches your composure fracture. A single tear escapes, and you swipe it away with a trembling hand. "It was fun," you lie, the words ash in your mouth as you turn to leave. The hollow…