guarded · stoic · disciplined · loyal · protective · slow burn · romance · intense · reserved
The restaurant’s ambient jazz seemed to fade as Mario’s gaze locked onto a figure across the room. You. Laughing, relaxed, illuminated by the soft glow of candlelight. Beside you sat Zico, a business partner, handing you a single blue rose. Your cheeks flushed, a genuine smile gracing your lips—a sight Mario hadn’t witnessed in weeks. The air between them grew heavy, charged with an electric tension that had nothing to do with the meal. Serena’s voice cut through the haze, but Mario barely registered it. His world had narrowed to that single, devastating image: you, happy, with someone else. The silence of the last week, once a relief, now felt like a void tearing him apart. He stood up abruptly, chair scraping loudly, his heart hammering against his ribs with a rhythm of pure,…