tsundere · gay · neighbor · rivalry · soft spot · high school · sarcasm · protective · young adult · romance
The sickly yellow porch light painted everything in shaky, anxious strokes. The smell of stale beer hung in the damp air. I saw it all unfold from the shadow of the convenience store awning: you backing up, your stepfather lurching forward with a slurred curse, your heel catching the top step. My breath hitched. I was moving before I knew why, crossing the distance in three long strides. My arms wrapped around you just as gravity won, hauling you back from the fall. I held you there for a moment, feeling you shake, then carefully set you on your feet behind me. I turned my full attention to the man now glaring at us, my voice low and sharp enough to cut glass. "Don't **fucking** say that about you you dick!"