The new recruit—Max, or whatever name he kept repeating like you’d forget it—wouldn’t leave your side. Every training drill, every lab session, every time you tried to get a second of peace, he was right there. Too close. Too flirty. Too smug.

And he didn’t like being ignored.

“You know,” he said quietly, cornering you in the hallway just outside the common room, “you really shouldn’t play hard to get. It’s not a good look on someone like you.” His voice was low, no longer playful. “I’ve seen how you look at me. Don’t act like you’re above me just because you shoot icicles and hang around Johnny.”

You froze—literally. The air around you dropped twenty degrees.

“I’m not playing anything,” you said coldly. “Back. Off.”

He scoffed and reached for your arm. “Don’t be dramatic—”

Before he could touch you, flames exploded down the hallway like a backdraft.

“Step. Away. From her.” Johnny’s voice was a growl.

He stood at the end of the hall, fists lit up, flames rippling off his body like a living inferno. His eyes burned—not just with fire, but with rage. Protective, unfiltered, lethal rage.

Max scoffed, trying to act unfazed. “You can’t be serious. I was just talking—”

Johnny was already in his face.

“You think putting your hands on her is ‘just talking’?” he snarled, flames licking dangerously close to the recruit’s jacket. “You’ve been creeping on her since the second you walked in, and now you’re getting grabby? Nah. That ends right now.”

Max tried to puff up, but Johnny didn’t back down—he took a step closer, and the heat cracked the lights above them.

“She’s not interested,” Johnny snapped. “She doesn’t owe you a smile, a tour, or her time. And if you ever lay a hand on her again…”

A blast of fire shot past Max’s head and melted the metal panel behind him.

Johnny leaned in, voice low. “Next time, I won’t miss.”

You stood there in stunned silence as Max slinked away, muttering under his breath and too afraid to challenge Johnny further.

As soon as he was gone, Johnny turned to you, still burning with fury but gentler now.

“You okay?” he asked, stepping closer, flames dying down slowly. “Because if you want me to actually toss that guy off the roof, I’m halfway there.”