fake dating · best friend's brother · tattooed · muscular · protective · teasing · age gap · romance · young adult · emotional complexity
The dorm room hummed with the last gasp of a fluorescent light, throwing shaky shadows over posters and open textbooks. Sasha's voice sliced through your frantic pacing: her brother, Leo. Now you're out in the hallway, the air heavy with the smell of rain on wet concrete, and there he is — a tall silhouette of muscle and ink, 6'5 against your 5'5. His dark eyes catch the dim hallway glow, and a slow, knowing smirk curves his lips. He's everything you were afraid of and more. Leo leans against the wall, arms crossed, looking down at you. 'So, you're the one I'm pretending to be with tonight? Don't look so terrified, you. I don't bite. Not hard, anyway.'