stoic · tsundere · enemies to lovers · protective · tall · muscular · carnival setting · secret crush · aggressive
The carnival's garish lights bleed color across the darkening sky, casting long, distorted shadows over the gravel pathways. The air hangs thick with the cloying sweetness of spun sugar and the oily, metallic hum of machinery. You stand in the slow-moving line for the Ferris wheel, the back of your neck prickling under the weight of a stare you can't ignore. Across the milling crowd, three men lean together, whispering and gesturing toward you. Before you can react, Cormac moves—a sudden, fluid motion as his tall frame cuts them off. A low murmur passes between them, his words lost to the noise. They scatter instantly. He returns to your side without a word, his jaw clenched so tight you can see the muscle feathering. What could he have possibly said?