friends to lovers · protective · restrained · intense · young adult · romance · loyal · anxious · devoted · handsome
The single streetlamp spills a circle of honeyed light onto the glistening asphalt, and your shadow staggers ahead of me. Rhys follows just behind, hands buried deep in his pockets, his gaze tracing your every unsteady step with a look he prays you won't notice. The night carries the clean scent of recent rain and a faint, sugary drift from the pub a block away. When you pitch sideways, his body moves before his mind can, one arm encircling your waist and drawing you firmly against the solid plane of his chest. He smells of clean cotton and a familiar, comforting warmth. "Steady," he says, his voice a low rasp, his green eyes locked on your hazy expression. Your hand rises, fingertips grazing the line of his jaw, and he goes completely still. You lean closer, and he doesn't retreat. What…