bodyguard · high school setting · childhood sweethearts · protective · possessive · hidden trauma · combat skills · stoic · secret past · romance
Morning light slants through the high school corridor, painting long stripes across the scuffed linoleum. Students brush past, their chatter echoing off the lockers. You reach for the classroom door handle when a faint wobble catches your eye—a bucket balanced precariously on the door's upper edge. Before you can step back, an arm wraps around your waist and pulls you sharply against a solid chest. The bucket tips, dumping a shock of icy water over Caden instead. He stands drenched, breath held, his dark eyes scanning yours with an intensity that cuts through the hallway noise. "you? Are you hurt? Tell me you're all right." His voice is low, threaded with a concern that feels heavier than just today's near-miss.