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HOOONK!!

Everything went by so fast. Your body crashed into something solid as a rush of wind hit your face. The car screeched past, missing you by literal mere inches.

Your heartbeat pounded in your ears. Your breathing was erratic.

❝Shit, Y/N—❞

You knew that voice.

You looked up, dazed.

Kaiser.

His arms were around you. Tightly. Like he wasn't even thinking about letting go. His expression?

Furious.

❝Are you fucking insane?❞

..

You swallowed hard, still shaken from the previous events. ❝I—I didn't see—❞

❝No shit you didn't see,❞ His grip tightened even more before he exhaled sharply. His hands ran over your arms, checking, making sure. ❝Goddamn it, Schatz, you almost—❞

His voice faltered, his anger giving way to something else. Something dangerously close to worry.

Your phone was still in your hand, and the call was still connected.

❝Y/N?! What happened?!❞ your father's voice shouted through the speaker.

Kaiser heard it. His gaze flickered to the phone. Then, slowly, his eyes met yours.

For a second, all you could hear was the sound of your own breathing. The rush of adrenaline still had your nerves on edge.

And Kaiser's grip on you was still harsh, his fingers pressing into your arms as if making sure you were real, solid, still in one piece. His jaw was clenched, his expression now with something unreadable—rage, frustration, relief? You couldn't tell.

Your father's voice crackled through the speaker again.
❝Y/N?!❞

Your fingers tightened around your phone and you took a deep breath. ❝I'm.. fine❞ you muttered, trembling slightly.

❝What do you mean 'fine'? I heard something—❞

❝Just—I'll call you back, okay?❞ You ended the call before he could argue.

Silence.

Kaiser's breathing was heavier than usual, and you realised just how close he still was. His arms hadn't moved. His body was still angled protectively around yours, like he was preparing to yank you back again if necessary.

Your mind was catching up, piecing everything together. You'd been distracted, caught off guard. You hadn't seen the car. But Kaiser had.

The thought sent a strange sensation through your chest.

❝Are you stupid?❞ His voice was quieter now, but still as sharp. ❝Do you have a death wish, or are you just blind?❞

You exhaled, shakily, trying to ground yourself. The adrenaline was still wearing off, leaving you slightly lightheaded.
❝I—I wasn't paying attention,❞ you admitted, your voice was barely above a whisper.

Kaiser clicked his tongue, clearly unsatisfied with that answer. His hands finally loosened, but he didn't step back.

❝You could've died, Y/N.❞

His words settled into your chest. You had never seen him like this before—not cocky, not smug, not teasing. Just... pissed.

❝I know,❞ you murmured.

Kaiser let out a sharp breath, raking a hand through his hair before gripping the back of his neck. He looked like he was trying to restrain himself in, like he had too much emotion building up inside him and didn't know what to do with it.

❝Fucking hell,❞ he muttered under his breath.

For a moment, neither of you spoke. The city lights flickered around you, cars rushed past, and yet it felt like the entire world had shrunk to just this—just the two of you standing in the aftermath of what could have been a disaster.

Then, suddenly, he reached out again.

His hand cupped the side of your face, not rough like before, but firm. Warm. His thumb brushed against your cheek, his gaze scanning your features like he was memorising them.

❝Be more careful,❞ he said, quieter this time. Not a command. A plea.

Your heart skipped a beat.

❝I.. will,❞ you promised.

Kaiser studied you for a second longer, then scoffed, his usual arrogance creeping back in as he dropped his hand.

❝Can't believe I saved your life and I don't even get a thank you,❞ he muttered, shaking his head.

You let out a small, breathless laugh. ❝..Thank you, Kaiser.❞

His lips quirked up. ❝There we go. See? That wasn't so hard.❞

But even as he smirked, there was something unreadable in his eyes, something beneath the surface. He was about to say something but was cut off by a scream.

❝Y/NNN! ARE YOU OKAY?❞ Both of you looked over to see Emilia running towards you frantically. ❝JULIAN TOLD ME HE SAW YOU WALKING OUT AND THEN I CALLED YOU, AND THEN I HEARD—❞

She skidded to a stop, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she took in the scene—Kaiser standing way too close to you, the way his hand had just dropped from your face, the frustration still evident in his expression.

Her eyes darted between the two of you before she let out a strangled breath. ❝What.. the hell happened?!❞

You opened your mouth, but Kaiser beat you to it. ❝Your dear best friend almost got herself run over.❞

Emilia's face drained of color. ❝..What?❞

You exhaled, already dreading the dramatics. ❝I wasn't paying attention, and a car—❞

❝Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god—❞ She grabbed your shoulders, shaking you slightly. ❝Are you hurt?! Do you need a hospital?! Why didn't you call me immediately?! Do you know what would've happened if—❞

❝She almost got hurt,❞ Kaiser cut in. ❝Because I was here.❞

Emilia snapped her gaze to him, her face a mix of panic and realisation. ❝You... you saved her?❞

Kaiser shrugged. ❝Like a real-life superhero. Where's my reward?❞

Emilia's mouth opened, then closed. She looked back at you. ❝Wait. Kaiser saved you?❞

You rubbed your temples, still feeling a little out of it. ❝Yeah, Emi. Kaiser saved me.❞

Her expression changed into something unreadable before she smacked your arm. ❝IDIOT! You're lucky I don't drag you home right now.❞

You winced as you rubbed the spot you were hit. ❝Ouch—❞ There were some bruises and probably more on the way after she was done scolding you.

She finally let out another sound, gripping your shoulders again. ❝You seriously scared me, Y/N. Don't do that again.❞

Your heart softened at the genuine concern in her voice. ❝I won't. I promise.❞

She narrowed her eyes, still not entirely convinced, but let out a sigh. ❝Fine. But I'm not letting you go home alone.❞

Kaiser raised an eyebrow. ❝Oh? So she gets a babysitter now? Cute.❞

You groaned. ❝Kaiser, please.❞

He grinned, but it wasn't as arrogant as usual. ❝Relax, Schatz. I'll let you off easy since you just had a near-death experience.❞

Emilia exhaled and shook her head. ❝Come on, let's go before something else happens. I'll text Julian that I'm gonna head home now.❞

You took a deep breath, glancing back at Kaiser. He was watching you carefully, still standing close. There was something in his gaze—something you couldn't quite place.

❝...Thanks again, Kaiser.❞

He held your stare for a moment before his lips curled into that familiar smirk. ❝Try not to get yourself killed next time, ja?❞

And with that, he turned and walked away, disappearing.

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The city lights blurred around him as he walked, but his mind was still racing, still replaying the last five minutes over and over.

That moment. That fucking moment.

When he saw you step onto the street, completely unaware—when the headlights reflected in your eyes—when time seemed to freeze, and his body moved before his brain even caught up.

He was still pissed.

He clenched his fists, trying to force the tension out of his muscles, but it stayed. He wasn't supposed to care like this.

Not in the way that made his pulse spike when he saw you so close to death. Not in the way that made him react without thinking, without hesitation.

Not in the way that made his first instinct to hold you, to keep his hands on you even after the danger had passed, just to make sure you were still standing, still breathing.

He clicked his tongue, dragging a hand through his hair. Scheiße.

Maybe it was the adrenaline. Maybe it was the sheer stupidity of the situation. Maybe it was because you looked at him like that afterward—with those shaken, searching eyes, like you weren't sure what to do with the fact that he had been the one to save you.

Or maybe—fuck, maybe—it was because when he had held you, felt your warmth, felt you alive in his arms, the thought of what could have happened had twisted something deep inside him.

He exhaled, turning a corner.

You had thanked him. That was a first. You had also promised to be more careful.

And that—that—was why he hadn't said what had almost slipped out when his hand was on your face.

Because if you had been any closer to getting hit, if he had been one second too late—

He gritted his teeth, coming to a halt and ran a hand through his hair. He scowled, pushing away the thought before it could fully form.

..

Why the fuck had he reacted like that?

It wasn't his problem if Klose's daughter was too distracted to watch where she was going. And yet his fingers twitched at his side.

He clicked his tongue, annoyed. With himself. With her. With this whole stupid situation.

He played. He entertained himself. He crushed. But this? This was different.

Interesting.

Very fucking interesting.

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The car was gone. The danger had passed. And yet, you still felt like you were standing in the middle of the street, headlights flashing, and your heart hammering against your ribs.

You weren't the type to panic. Weren't the type to let fear sink in like this. But this wasn't just about almost getting hit by a car.

It was the fact that you hadn't seen it coming. The fact that, for a split second, everything could have ended—and you wouldn't have even realised it.

The realisation sat in your chest. And then there was him.

Michael Kaiser.

The last person you expected to be the reason you were still standing here. His voice was still echoing in your mind. That frustrated anger—❝Are you fucking insane?❞—but beneath it, something else. Something close to fear and worry.

You swallowed, glancing down at your hands. They were steady now, but you still remembered the way his grip had felt. Like he wasn't even thinking, like he had moved on instinct alone.

Why?

Why did it bother you so much?

❝You're quiet.❞

Emilia's voice snapped you out of your thoughts. You blinked, looking up to see her walking beside you, her arms crossed.

She had been unusually silent ever since leaving the street where Kaiser had saved you, but now, her eyes were scanning you carefully.

Too carefully.

❝Yeah,❞ you muttered. ❝Just... processing.❞

Emilia didn't answer right away.

Then, casually, she said, ❝So. Kaiser, huh?❞

You nearly tripped.

❝What?❞

Emilia shot you a look. ❝Don't 'what' me. I saw the way he looked at you. The way you looked at him.❞

You frowned. ❝I didn't—❞

❝Oh, please.❞ She groaned dramatically, throwing her head back. ❝Do you think I don't know what chemistry looks like? You were practically in a scene straight out of a romance movie.❞

You scoffed. ❝It was not romantic. I almost died.❞

❝And he was the one who saved you. And then stared at you like you were the only person in the world. And then touched your face like he—❞

❝Emilia.❞ You shot her a glare. ❝Stop.❞

She huffed. ❝Fine, fine. But I'm watching you.❞

You rolled your eyes, but the weight in your chest hadn't disappeared.

Because no matter how much you wanted to dismiss it, Emilia was right about one thing.

He looked at you differently tonight.

And you had no idea what it meant.
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Kaiser slammed the door to his house shut and exhaled, pressing his fingers to his temple. His pulse had still not fully settled.

Shit.

He kicked off his shoes and paced across the room, his jaw tightening. He needed to shake this off. Now.

It had been nothing.

Just adrenaline. Just instinct. He would have done the same thing if it were anyone else.

Wouldn't he?

His hands twitched. He could still feel your warmth against his palms, the shape of your face when he cupped it, the way your breath had hitched ever so slightly.

❝Be more careful,❞ He had told you.

What the hell was wrong with him?

He gritted his teeth and sat down, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. His fingers tapped continuously against his skin.

This wasn't like him.

Obsession wasn't unfamiliar to Kaiser. He thrived on it. His entire life was built on chasing what he wanted until he had it in his hands. Until he had crushed it beneath his feet.

But this? This wasn't about winning or proving his superiority. This wasn't about destroying someone beneath his talent.

It was something else.