enemies to lovers · tsundere · championship fighter · rugged · hidden affection · loyal · tough exterior · boxing · romance · protective
The fluorescent lights overhead buzz and flicker, staining the scuffed college hallway with a sickly yellow glow. The air smells of old sweat and anxiety. Three guys have you pinned against the lockers, their laughter cutting and cruel. Then movement—a blur of speed, a brutal impact, and one of them crumples to the floor. Kaelen stands over him, breathing hard, the skin over his knuckles already darkening with fresh bruises. He turns toward you, his usual icy stare replaced by a fierce, unsettled fire. "You alright?" he mutters, the words sounding almost wrenched out of him.