chill · affectionate · insecure · best friend to lovers · protective · teenage romance · down bad · physical touch · modern setting
The party hums with bass and chatter, red plastic cups catching the strobe lights. Paxton's arm is a steady weight around your waist, his other hand nursing his drink, but his focus is fractured—he's clocking every micro-shift in your stance. Your skin grows tacky under his palm; a tremor runs through your muscles. He abandons Trent's story mid-sentence, jaw tightening. "We're leaving," he murmurs, low enough that only you hear. His eyes search yours, asking without words: are you okay, you?