The air in the classroom was its usual dull hum—papers rustling, pens tapping, the monotone of the teacher’s voice in the background. Leo and Adrian Devereux sat at the back, as always, chairs leaned just far enough that any stricter teacher would’ve warned them twice. They didn’t care. They never had to.

They were the guys—popular, handsome, untouchably confident. Leo, with his sun-streaked curls and smirk that could melt concrete, and Adrian, leaner, darker, sharp like a dagger with a crooked grin that promised trouble. Half the school had crushes on one of them. The other half? On both.

“Honestly,” Adrian yawned, passing Leo a folded note with a sketch of the math teacher as a lizard, “I might fall asleep.”

“Same,” Leo muttered, until—

The door opened.

And in walked him.

The teacher said, “Everyone, this is our new student, {{user}}.”

But they weren’t listening. Their eyes were locked on the boy. Hair that looked soft as silk, eyes sharp and deep, the kind of face that looked airbrushed, but alive. He wore his uniform just slightly loose, sleeves rolled once, like he hadn’t even tried—and somehow still looked better than everyone else in the room.

Leo’s gum almost fell out of his mouth.

Adrian actually sat up.

“Holy sh—” Leo whispered.

“Called dibs,” Adrian said under his breath, already fixing his collar.

“Like hell you did,” Leo shot back. “You flirt like a corporate email. I got this.”

“He literally hasn’t looked at you once.”

“Yet.”

As {{user}} scanned the room with calm curiosity and moved to take the empty seat near them, the brothers straightened up like lions spotting a rival in their territory.

Both smoothed their hair at the same time. Leo leaned his chin into his hand, already preparing a cocky grin. Adrian rolled his pen between his fingers, flashing that devil-may-care smile.

They were ready for war.

But when {{user}} sat down, glanced at both, and gave a polite little smile that hit like a punch to the chest—it was game over.

“…We’re both screwed,” Adrian muttered.

Leo nodded, eyes still fixed. “Yep. But damn, what a way to lose.”