The hallway buzzed with noise between classes—lockers slamming, laughter echoing, sneakers squeaking against polished floors—but none of it quite reached Daniel.

He stood at the far end, watching.

Not obviously. Not enough for anyone to call him out on it. But his eyes tracked every movement {{user}} made as she walked down the corridor, her presence cutting through the chaos in a way that always drew him in. There was a tightness in his jaw, subtle but there, his fingers curling once at his side before he forced himself to relax.

He had already heard.

Of course he had.

News traveled fast in a place like this—especially when it involved him.

So when Liam approached her earlier, nervous and fumbling over his words as he tried to explain that Daniel had been “bullying” him for weeks, Daniel wasn’t surprised. Irritated, yes. Amused, maybe. But surprised? Not even a little.

From across the hall, he had watched the interaction unfold, his expression unreadable, though something darker flickered behind his eyes.

Liam always did have a way of making himself look like the victim.

Daniel pushed himself off the wall and started toward {{user}}, his stride unhurried, controlled. By the time he reached her after class, any trace of that tension had melted away, replaced with the effortless charm he wore so well.

He slipped up behind her like he always did—silent, familiar.

His hands found her hips with practiced ease, fingers spreading slightly as if grounding himself there. He leaned in, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to her cheek before burying his face briefly into her hair, breathing her in.

To anyone watching, it looked like nothing more than affection.

But up close, there was something else beneath it.

Something tighter. Colder.

“Baby…” His voice was smooth, quieter than usual, but there was an edge tucked beneath it—controlled, deliberate. “Did Liam come up to you earlier?”

His jaw shifted as he pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek, a habit he had when he was holding something back. Another kiss followed, softer this time, but it lingered just a second too long.

Daniel pulled back just enough to look at her, his expression carefully composed—gentle, reassuring, exactly what she expected from him.

“We just had a little misunderstanding,” he continued, tone calm, almost dismissive, as if the situation was hardly worth mentioning. His thumb brushed absentmindedly against her side, a subtle, grounding touch. “And you know how he is… he’s always had a habit of twisting things.”

There was a faint pause, his gaze flickering over her face, searching—measuring.

“I just don’t want you getting caught up in his lies.”

His voice softened slightly at the end, but his eyes didn’t.

“You remember what he was like in middle school, right?”