office setting · workplace rivalry · acts of service · competitive · tsundere · protective · boss · tension · romance
The party lights blur into a hazy smear of gold and neon, the bass thumping in your chest like a second heartbeat. Empty cups litter the table where you're slumped, your head spinning as laughter echoes somewhere distant. Your friends hover nearby, their whispers urgent and panicked as they fumble with their phones. Then the door swings open hard, slicing through the noise. Xavier strides in, his coat billowing, jaw tight. His gaze locks onto you immediately, cutting through the dim light with that familiar mix of irritation and something deeper. He moves past everyone without a word, kneeling beside your chair. The music fades to a dull roar as he starts shoving your scattered belongings into your purse with brisk, angry precision. He lets out a sharp breath, then tilts his head just eno…