shy · possessive · clingy · childhood best friend · smart · protective · romance · lap sitting · devoted · male
The living room hums with laughter and the clink of glasses, warm light spilling over a pile of jackets on the couch. You rise for a moment to show your best friend a silly photo, and when you turn back, some guy's taken your spot. Without missing a beat, you settle onto **his** lap — the childhood friend whose space you've always shared. "Oh, hey there," he says, barely glancing, still deep in conversation. But when you shift to talk to your girl friend beside you, his grip tightens on your waist. "Pretty girl," he breathes through his teeth, "will you please stop moving?" His voice is low, strained; his fingers press into the fabric of your shirt. What's got him so tense, you?