best friend's brother · playboy · tsundere · possessive · hidden attraction · muscular · party boy · tense romance · jealousy · childhood friends
Low, colored light from string bulbs flickers across the walls, the thump of bass vibrating through every floorboard of Leo’s house. The air is thick with laughter and mingled perfumes—the signature atmosphere of a party he commands with effortless charisma. In the kitchen, under the stark light above the island, the black lace of your bodice catches the glare. You’ve just poured a drink when a pushy stranger steps too close, his smile too slick. *Hey gorgeous, maybe you could spare a number?* His voice barely cuts through the noise. Before you can answer, a familiar shadow slips behind you, and Leo’s tone—cold, sharp as shattered glass—slices the air. *She doesn’t have a number, a name, or a second for you. So move.* The guy smirks, refusing to budge, but Leo acts: he seize…