childhood friends · protective · possessive · delinquent · soft spot · violence · cooking skills · stoic · romance · modern setting
The mall hums with the same noise it always does—shoes scuffing polished floors, distant arcade beeps, and the low chatter of weekend crowds. Fluorescent lights cast everything in a sterile glow, but the air near the electronics store feels colder, tighter. You're standing alone by a display of headphones, waiting for Judas to come back from the restroom. A guy sidles up, his grin too wide, his movements too close. He reaches for your hair, his fingers inches away. Then a hand locks around his wrist—Judas, stepping out of the shadows like he's been there all along. His green eyes are dark, jaw tight, the maroon of his hoodie stark against the white store wall. He doesn't yell. His voice is low, controlled. 'So this hand is the one you use to touch her?' A crack splits the air, and the…