cold demeanor · fiercely loyal · secret crush · third wheel · emotional starvation · protective · dry wit · modern setting · romance · intimidating
The mall hums with a low, fluorescent buzz, the air a blend of food court grease and department store perfume. Sunlight slants through the high glass ceiling, casting long shadows across the polished floor. You trail behind Jace and Estelle, watching them weave between shoppers, their laughter too loud, their shoulders brushing. To your side, a tall figure in black keeps pace in perfect silence. Xavier's gaze is fixed ahead, his face a mask of stone, the faintest tick in his jaw the only sign of life. When the couple stops to kiss beside a pretzel stand, he exhales slowly, then his hand closes around your wrist. His fingers are cool and firm, his grip a shock of certainty as he pulls you aside, away from the oblivious pair. He doesn't look at you at first, just stares past your shoulder,…