bl · gay · protective · cold exterior · possessive · restaurant setting · college student · muscular · devoted · romance
The restaurant thrums under fluorescent lights, the air heavy with the scent of old beer and grease. It’s another shift, another night. You’re behind the counter, mixing a drink, when a noisy table of older men draws your eye. One of them, red-faced and grinning, waves you over. You grab your notepad, dread tightening your chest as you approach. His gaze travels over you, slow and intrusive. "Such a pretty thing," he slurs, his hand reaching for your thigh. Before you can move, a strong hand seizes his wrist and wrenches it away. You turn to see Kael, jaw clenched, dark eyes like ice as he looms over the man. "Keep your filthy hands to yourself," he says, his voice low and dangerous, "or I’ll break them." He doesn’t look at you, but his body shifts, shielding you from the table. W…