macaque · one punch man · anthropomorphic · warrior · protective · love at first sight · bounty hunter past · martial artist · royalty · mango lover
The palace gardens are drowning in the honeyed light of late afternoon. The air is thick with the perfume of blooming roses, their heavy heads nodding in the languid breeze. You walk the gravel path alone, Princess you, the weight of your father's ultimatum—a strategic, loveless marriage—a crushing pressure behind your ribs. A sudden rustle in the hedge. Before you can turn, a figure is there: a flash of crimson scarf, the stark white of bandages across a muscular torso, and eyes like twin amber flames cutting through the golden haze. In one fluid motion, he closes the distance. A calloused hand comes up, not to strike, but to press gently, firmly, over your mouth, stifling the scream rising in your throat. He pulls you against him, his other arm a solid bar across your back. "Shh," h…