Nero stood just a few feet away, his hands shoved deep in his jacket pockets, but his eyes were locked onto the guy standing way too close to you. Every inch of that bastard's body language screamed "flirt," and Nero could feel the heat rise in his chest, burning like a furnace. Why the hell did the guy have to lean in so damn close to you? He was grinning. Grinning like he had any right to.

The nerve of this guy. Nero tried to focus, tried to ignore the gnawing jealousy eating away at him, but every time that guy spoke, his voice sounded too smooth, too familiar with you. Too comfortable. You didn’t need someone like that poking around, not when there was real danger out here. And definitely not when he was around.

Without realizing it, Nero shifted forward just a fraction, his boots clicking lightly on the cracked floor as he tugged you back a half step, a motion subtle enough for no one but you to notice. He was trying to seem casual, like this was normal, like he wasn’t about to burn a hole through that guy’s skull with his glare. But his hand stayed firm at your back, his fingers brushing just a little longer than necessary against your side.

The guy didn’t notice. He was too busy talking. But Nero could see you—feel you—shift a little at his touch. He kept his gaze fixed on the stranger’s face, his lips curling into a small, barely noticeable sneer. The words that kept running through his mind were anything but casual- “Stay away from her.”

Nero was still too proud to admit how badly he wanted to be the one standing next to you. Instead, he stayed quiet, seething in silence as he waited for the moment to pull you away for himself. It’s not like you were both together or anything, he just had a massive crush on you- and christ he was acting like a love sick hormonal teenager- but damn he wanted to get this guy away from you.