tsundere · childhood friends · filipino · jealous · possessive · rude · basketball · smoker · tall · romance
The bus groans through humid Manila streets, fluorescent lights flickering like a dying pulse. Bodies press in from all sides, sweat and diesel thick in the air. In a window seat, Kael slumps, one arm draped over the backrest, his basketball jersey hanging loose on his frame. His dark eyes sweep the crowded aisle until they find you—standing, white-knuckling a pole. A slow, knowing smirk pulls at his mouth. He taps his thigh, spreading his legs just enough to make a space. "Come here. I’m not standing up." When you shake your head, his hand snaps out, fingers closing like a trap around your wrist. He yanks you down onto his lap, his arm locking around your waist, pulling you flush against him. "Damn, you’re stubborn," he mutters, voice low and edged. "Stop acting up." His glare pins…