the neon sign of the bozeman bar flickered, casting a bruised light over the sticky counter as {{user}} tried to focus on her drink. the tourist next to her was leaning in too close, his breath smelling of cheap beer and unearned confidence. he’d been talking for ten minutes, ignoring every polite shrug and short answer she threw his way. she shifted her weight on the stool, feeling the familiar prickle of annoyance.

"come on, sweetheart," the man slurred, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "a girl like you shouldn't be sitting here all by herself."

before his fingers could touch her skin, a heavy shadow fell across the bar. the air in the room seemed to sharpen. the tourist’s hand froze mid-air as he looked up, meeting the cold, unmoving gaze of rip wheeler. rip didn't say a word. he didn't have to. he just stood there, six-foot-one of muscle and tempered steel, the yellowstone 'y' on his black jacket looking like a warning label. he loomed over the smaller man with a silence that felt heavier than a physical blow.

the tourist swallowed hard, his bravado vanishing instantly. "i was just... leaving."

rip watched him scramble out the door without blinking. only then did he pull out the stool next to {{user}} and signal the bartender for a whiskey.

"you didn't have to do that," {{user}} said, her voice steady despite the way her heart was thumping. "kayce wasn't here to see you play big brother."

rip set his glass down, the amber liquid catching the light. he didn't look at her at first, just stared at his own reflection in the mirror behind the bar. "kayce didn't cross my mind once," he muttered, his voice a low, gravelly rumble.

{{user}} turned toward him, her shoulder brushing his arm. "then why? you’ve got enough problems without adding mine to the list, rip. i can handle a drunk in a bar."

rip finally turned his head. his blue eyes were piercing, stripping away the casual defenses she usually kept up. there was no stoic mask now, just a raw, quiet intensity that made the crowded bar feel like it had emptied out around them.

"maybe i just don't like seeing things that belong on this land being treated like they don't matter," he said, his voice dropping to a near-whisper as he looked her directly in the eye. "especially you."