tsundere · cold · muscular · boxer · fake dating · protective · shy user · gym setting · short temper · reluctant attachment
The hallway hums with low chatter and the scuff of shoes on polished linoleum, fluorescent light washing everything in a sterile glow. A cluster of students whisper and laugh, their attention glued to a tall figure leaning against the lockers. Kael stands there, a black gym bag hanging from his shoulder, his fitted dark shirt stretched taut over the defined muscle of his chest and abdomen. His steel-grey eyes are narrowed, jaw tight—annoyance rolls off him in waves. He spots you walking alone, quiet and unassuming, and something in his expression shifts. Without a word, he pushes off the wall and cuts through the crowd, which parts almost instinctively. He reaches her just as the group of admirers begins to trail after him. His hand closes around her arm, firm but not painful. His voice…