𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐓 𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒

we protect each other

(Your POV)

As I take another shot, I feel the alcohol burn down my throat and wince. All around me, people are dancing and bumping into each other. I can't turn anywhere without accidentally knocking into someone.

"Let's go over there!" I shout to my best friend Y/B/F, pointing toward an empty corner of the room.

"Okay!" Y/B/F shouts back. We squeeze our way through the crowd of sweaty people, stumbling a little bit here and there, until we finally reach the empty corner.

"Phew. Some people really need to take a shower," Y/B/F says. I laugh, agreeing with her.

Someone then taps me on the shoulder and I turn around to see a tall, burly man with shaggy blonde hair towering over me.

"Excuse me?" he says in a rumbling voice.

"Yes?" I respond.

"I just think you're really beautiful and I wanted to introduce myself. I'm Kyle."

"Nice to meet you, Kyle. And thank you!"

"So, do you want a drink?"

I look at Y/B/F quickly, silently asking if I should trust this random guy I just met. From the way he towers over me and the heavy smell of alcohol on his breath, I'm not so sure I trust Kyle. Neither does Y/B/F, because she shakes her head 'no'.

"No thank you, Kyle. I'm already feeling a little tipsy and I'm not in the mood for another drink," I say kindly. That isn't totally a lie; I am feeling quite tipsy from the drinks I had earlier. But there is no way I trust Kyle with getting me an alcoholic beverage.

"Come on, just one drink?" Kyle asks, slurring his words.

"I said no."

"Only one. And then I'll leave you alone, promise."

"Jesus, dude! I said no! Now can you please leave me alone?!" I shout. Some of the people around us hear me shouting and look over to see what the scene is all about.

An evil glare flashes across Kyle's eyes and I see his fists clenched by his hips. "You bitch," he grumbles under his breath.

"What did you just call me?" I ask, glaring up at him.

"I called you a bitch, you fucking whore!" Kyle yells. Now the entire party is silent, everyone's eyes on us.

Kyle raises one of his fists as if he's about to punch me. I turn around and brace myself, knowing there's no way I could escape through the thick crowd gathered around us. Just when I think I'm going to get punched, though, I hear another voice yelling.

"She said no!" the new voice yells. I slowly turn around and see an incredibly attractive boy with dark brown curls and a strong jawline standing in front of me, protecting me from Kyle's reach.

"Who the fuck are you?" Kyle asks, his fist still raised.

"It doesn't matter who I am. She said no. Go away," the stranger says calmly.

"Get the fuck away," Kyle growls. "I call dibs on her."

"What the fuck? You can't call dibs on her, she's a human being."

"I can call dibs on her, and I did. I get what I want and I will get her. Now move, you shrimpy asshole."

"No," the curly-haired stranger says again, more firmly. "I'm not leaving until you get away from her."

"Move or else."

"Or else what?"

Without hesitating, Kyle punches the stranger, knocking him to the floor. The crowd collectively gasps and I quickly get down to help the stranger up. Suddenly the crowd starts hurling insults at Kyle, tossing their drinks and dirty napkins in his direction. Embarrassed, Kyle pushes through the crowd and runs out of the party.

On the ground, the stranger is holding his hand over his eye, muttering curses under his breath.

"Are you okay?" I ask while panicking slightly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Are you fine?"

"Move your hand, I think you're bleeding,"
I say as I see blood seeping between his fingers, totally ignoring his question. He does as I ask and I notice a gash under his eyebrow, blood pouring out. I suddenly don't feel so tipsy anymore...

"Shit," I mutter. I look around for a napkin and
Y/B/F is already one step ahead of me. She holds out a pile of napkins for me and i take them, thanking her.

I press the napkins firmly against the strangers face in an attempt to stop the bleeding, taking the time to observe his features. He has a strong, chiseled jawline and his freckles stand out against the paleness of his skin. In the one eye that isn't bleeding, I can see streaks of blue and green. He really is the most attractive man I've ever seen.

I don't really realize I'm staring until his voice snaps me out of it.

"Sorry, what?" I say, shaking my head to clear my thoughts.

"Do you want to go outside and get some fresh air?" The boy repeats.

"Yeah, that sounds nice."

I stand up and help the boy get up as well, handing his clean napkins for him to hold against his eye. He takes my hand in his and leads me outside, where the air is quiet and clear. I follow him to a bench and sit down next to him.

"So, thank you for taking a punch for me. And protecting me from that creep. I would've been toast if you didn't step in," I say to the stranger.

"Are you kidding? How could I let someone as beautiful as you be kicked around by that dude? And I should be thanking you. You're helping me out with my, uh, situation," the stranger says as he points to his bloody face.

"Don't thank me. It wouldn't have happened if you didn't step in to save me."

"Let's just call it even. I protected you and you protected me."

"Sounds good."

Neither one of us talks for a few minutes. I look around, anywhere but the stranger, but the whole time I can feel his eyes piercing into me.

"So, impossibly beautiful stranger I just saved from the bad guy, what's your name?"

"I'm Y/N," I say, looking at the boy with a smile. "And you, equally as handsome boy who I also helped after the bad guy punched him, what's your name?"

The stranger laughs, and I am suddenly hit with the realization that I could listen that laugh forever.

"I'm Timothée. It's nice to meet you, Y/N."

"It's nice to meet you, too, Timothée."

***

hi! i hope you guys liked this one! i think it's pretty cute ;)

on a personal note, i just was dealing with a toxic boy in my own life, so i liked writing this and imagining that someone would swoop in and save me like that :)

anyways, if you have any requests for imagines you would like to make, pls pm me with any ideas and i will happily write them for you!

ALSO - if i made a public Instagram account, would you be interested in following? i would post super quick imagines/edits/stuff like that. pls pls let me know!

okay, i'll let u be now! adios!

much love, lyra <3