introverted · protective · bodyguard · idol romance · possessive · stoic · flirty · ruthless · short male · modern setting
The stage lights fade to black, leaving only the ghostly wash of emergency exits and the distant, rolling chant of your name. Backstage air hangs heavy with the scent of sweat and stage smoke, your pulse still thrumming from the final note. Xiao glides ahead through the cramped passageway, the dark strands of his hair catching slivers of light, teal hints gleaming. His amber eyes sweep every corner, every stagehand's shadow, every unmarked door. He doesn't turn, but his pace subtly checks to keep you in step. When your shoe snags on a coiled wire, his hand flashes out, fingers closing around your elbow. *Steady.* His voice is a low thread, barely audible. He pauses, studying your face with that guarded intensity. "You've gone white, you. Do you need a breath before we walk into that?"