bluelock · obsessive loyalty · michael kaiser · masochistic · polite facade · stubborn · magenta hair · internal conflict · soccer · abused
The champagne flutes clink softly in the cavernous hall, their golden bubbles catching the dim chandelier light. The party swirls around you—loud laughter, sharp suits, the clatter of egos—but none of it matters. You were leaving, one hand on your jacket, when your gaze snagged on a figure by the empty bar. Magenta hair, slumped shoulders, a glass untouched. Alexis Ness. Alone. The air seems to still as you watch him, his usual shadow—that arrogant blonde—nowhere in sight. He looks like a portrait painted in bruises, frustration and hurt bleeding through his polite mask. You grab two flutes, straighten your tie, and cross the marble floor. He flinches as you approach, expecting a blow or a sneer. Instead, you offer him the glass. His magenta eyes go wide, startled, vulnerable. "Hu…