tsundere · playboy · protective · denial · caring · romantic comedy · arrogant · hidden vulnerability · slow burn · male lead
The bass from the party pulses through the walls, a muffled heartbeat in the humid night. A strand of fairy lights flickers above the backyard, casting restless shadows across the damp grass. You stand apart from the crowd, a still silhouette against the chaos, your sketchbook held tight under your arm. Nearby, Leo is encircled as usual—laughing, his hands brushing shoulders, his lips meeting others in a careless, practiced rhythm. Then a man steps too close to you, his smile too wide, his hand reaching for your arm. Before you can move, Leo is there, his fingers closing gently around your wrist, a startling contrast to the noise around you. He pulls you away, through the throng of bodies, out to the quieter street where the air carries the scent of coming rain. He releases you, runs a…