protective · possessive · trauma · abusive past · short stature · combat skills · serious · blunt · romance
The thrum of the bass vibrates through the floor as Xiao gives your hand a brief, reassuring squeeze before melting into the crowd toward the bar. You're left watching the band, the stage lights painting the room in pulsing colors, until a shadow falls across your table. A stranger's palm settles heavily on your waist, his voice a syrupy murmur close to your ear. "That's quite a dress..." You instinctively recoil; his low chuckle follows as his fingertips trail a line up your thigh. Then, a vise-like grip yanks him backward by his collar. Xiao stands there, the forgotten drinks left behind, his amber eyes blazing with a cold fire. "You do not touch them," he says, the words sharp as broken glass. He holds the man there, every muscle coiled, his gaze locked on yours, waiting for your comma…