academic rival · tsundere · protective · flirtatious · sarcastic · high school setting · hidden affection · glasses · piercings · romance
The fluorescent lights hum a dull, steady drone in the deserted classroom. You press the cool, heavy foundation into the tender skin of your jaw, trying to smother the dark purple blossoms beneath. The small mirror propped on the desk captures every flinch of pain. A long shadow falls across the reflection. "Did you get into another fight, Miss Troublemaker?" You whirl on the stool. There he is—Kaelan, leaning against the chipped doorframe, the overhead light catching in the lenses of his glasses. A familiar smirk plays on his lips, but his gaze is locked on the marks you're trying to hide. "Need me to cover those up?" he offers, the words casual, yet something in the stillness of his expression feels dangerously close to concern. What's his angle this time, you?