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Backstage pulsed with quiet energy. Staff moved with purpose, stagehands adjusted cables, final sound checks drifted through the intercom. In the middle of the bustle, behind a sleek black door marked Private, Evelyn sat alone in her dressing room.
One leg crossed neatly over the other, her posture relaxed but precise. Her long blonde hair framed her face perfectly, no stray curls out of place. The dress she wore for the evening was a sleek, black floor-length gown, understated but stunning. Clean lines, elegant, its open back showing off the perfect sweep of her shoulders.
Evelyn’s blue eyes flicked toward the mirror, checking her reflection once, twice, then turning her attention to the familiar presence stepping through the open door.
Astra Yao entered without fanfare, already there before Evelyn’s call time, of course.
She wore a sleek black suit tonight, slim-cut, sharp at the edges. A red silk shirt lay open just enough at the collar to hint at mischief. No tie. Her long black hair was pulled back high, loose enough for a few strands to frame her face. Red eyes gleamed with familiar amusement.
“You’re early,” Evelyn remarked, voice smooth.
“I’m always early for you.” Astra flashed a grin. “Bodyguard’s rule.”
“Mm.” Evelyn reached for her water glass. “Professionalism suits you.”
“So does the dress,” Astra shot back, leaning casually against the doorframe. “But you knew that already.”
Evelyn arched a brow. “Careful. Flattery will make me expect higher security tonight.”
Astra smirked. Beneath the mischief was that edge of readiness, watchful, tracking every movement around them. “Let them come,” she said softly. “I’d rather have something to do than stand around admiring you from the shadows.”
Evelyn’s gaze lingered on her. “You’d watch me either way.”
A slow, deliberate smile from Astra. “Always.”
A soft knock at the door interrupted them, the stage manager calling a five-minute warning.
Astra straightened instantly. The teasing vanished in a blink, replaced with crisp, focused professionalism. “I’ll be at the pit. You’ll be fine.”
“I know.” Evelyn rose, smooth and unhurried. As she passed Astra, she let her fingers brush Astra’s sleeve. Just for a second, light as air. “Don’t let them catch you staring.”
“Not possible,” Astra murmured to herself as the door closed behind her.
———
The lights dimmed.
The crowd roared.
A single spotlight cut through the dark, illuminating Evelyn center stage.
She stood alone beneath the beam. The black dress shimmered in the light, hugging her frame. No theatrics, no dancers, just her voice. Rich, cool, commanding.
The first slow notes unfurled into the room, and the audience held its breath.
Astra, stationed near the front of the pit, watched through sharp eyes. Scanning the balconies. The exits. The wings. But her gaze kept being drawn back to center stage.
Evelyn’s voice slid through the room like silk. Low, then rising, effortless. The crowd was already hers.
And then, as if she knew exactly where Astra stood, Evelyn’s gaze flicked across the stage lights. She found her.
No smile, not yet. Just the slightest spark in those ice-blue eyes.
Astra tilted her head slightly, a lazy smirk tugging at her lips.
Gods, she’s perfect, Astra thought.
But then—
A flicker. Upper rigging. Wrong movement. Wrong angle.
Astra’s entire body locked in an instant, grin gone, heart slamming hard.
Threat. Incoming.
She was already moving when the first shot rang out.
———
Astra reacted before the echo faded. Sharp instincts kicked in, overriding every playful impulse in her body. She surged forward in a single motion, gun already in hand. One arm wrapped tight around Evelyn’s waist, dragging her out of the kill zone and behind the heavy velvet curtains.
“Stay down,” Astra barked. Her voice was flat, clipped, her usual teasing tone gone.
Evelyn obeyed. No sharp retorts now. No cool deflections. Just trust. Her blue eyes met Astra’s for one fast second, steady and calm, but Astra’s crimson gaze was pure fire. Scanning every shadow, every high rig.
Second shot. Close.
The shooter was up in the lighting grid. Amateur. Predictable.
One clean shot from Astra. Silent. Controlled. A grunt, a thud. No more bullets.
“Clear.” Her voice was quieter now, but no less tense.
Only then did Astra glance down and realize Evelyn was still pressed flush to her side, her sharp black suit a striking contrast to Evelyn’s shimmering stage gown. The faint scent of expensive perfume caught Astra off guard, momentarily breaking the flood of adrenaline.
“They’re getting bolder,” Evelyn murmured coolly. Her tone only slightly shaken. “That was fast.”
Astra didn’t let go. Not yet. Her grip stayed firm around Evelyn’s waist, as if afraid she’d vanish the second she loosened it. “Too bold. That shouldn’t have happened.”
Evelyn tilted her head. “And here I thought you enjoyed an excuse to sweep me off my feet.”
Normally, Astra would’ve laughed, made some wicked, teasing reply. But not now. No smile. Her voice was rough, tense. “Don’t joke. You could’ve been hit.”
Something in Evelyn’s gaze softened. Her fingers brushed Astra’s forearm, slow. “I wasn’t. Because of you.”
A shaky breath escaped Astra. Her hand trembled once before she forced it still. “You’re not leaving my sight. Not tonight.”
“Good,” Evelyn replied softly. “I don’t want to.”
———
A little later—after the police finished sweeping the venue, after Astra personally double-checked every exit and grilled the perimeter team three times—she escorted Evelyn back to her private dressing room.
Only then did the tension in Astra’s shoulders start to loosen. Barely.
“You’re supposed to let me handle dangerous admirers,” Astra muttered as she shut the door behind them, locking it. “Not tempt them into trying.”
Evelyn arched a brow from her chair. “If I stopped tempting, you’d be out of a job.”
Astra snorted, but this time her grin finally surfaced, slow and wicked. “Fair. But I’d rather keep the job with you alive and looking stunning, thank you.”
She crossed the room in long strides, crimson eyes still scanning, lingering just a moment too long on the curve of Evelyn’s legs where her gown rode up as she shifted.
“You should sit.” Astra’s voice dropped, flirty again, though the edge of anxiety hadn’t quite faded. “Doctor’s orders.”
“Since when are you a doctor?” Evelyn asked, amused.
“I could be anything you want, sweetheart.” Astra knelt in front of her, fingers reaching to unstrap the too-high heels Evelyn still hadn’t taken off. “Bodyguard, doctor, very attentive girlfriend. Multitalented.”
Evelyn watched her work, something warm flickering in her gaze. “Girlfriend now? You move fast.”
“You’ve been teasing me with those looks all tour,” Astra shot back with a grin. “Don’t act surprised.”
Another pause. This one softer.
When Astra glanced up, her playful smirk faltered just for a second. “...You really scared me tonight.”
Evelyn’s expression shifted. Her fingers brushed lightly through Astra’s dark hair, tucking a loose strand behind one pointed ear.
“I know,” Evelyn said gently. “I’m sorry.”
Astra looked away, swallowing hard. “Don’t say sorry. Just—don’t get shot.”
Evelyn’s voice dipped lower, a faint, fond smile on her lips. “That almost sounded like you care.”
Astra let out a breath, half laugh, half sigh. “I care way too much, actually. That’s the problem.”
Without waiting for permission—because this was her Evelyn, and they both knew the tension had been building for months—Astra leaned in. Not fast. Not rushed. Slow. Intentional. Giving Evelyn every chance to stop her.
But Evelyn didn’t.
She tilted her chin, gaze steady, and when Astra’s mouth finally met hers, it was with all the fierce protectiveness and unspoken longing she’d held back since the first damn rehearsal.
The kiss wasn’t rough or hurried. It was claiming. I’m here. You’re safe. I’ve got you.
When they finally broke apart, Evelyn rested her forehead lightly against Astra’s.
“You know,” she murmured, a rare softness in her voice, “you’re supposed to be the professional here.”
Astra’s grin came back, sharp and wicked. “I am. I’m very good at my job.”
“You’re kissing your client.”
“Exactly. If I’m this good under pressure,” Astra teased, voice dropping low, “imagine what I’ll do when we’re not dodging bullets.”
Evelyn laughed softly, truly laughed this time. She brushed her fingers across Astra’s cheek, crimson eyes meeting blue.
“Then stay close,” she whispered. “You’re not getting rid of me.”
Astra’s heart thudded hard against her ribs. But now it wasn’t from fear. It was something warmer. Fiercer.
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” she whispered back. “And for the record? I’m never letting you walk off that stage alone again.”
Evelyn arched a brow. “Protective and possessive?”
“You love it,” Astra said, grinning with full confidence now.
And judging by the way Evelyn pulled her back in for another slow, lingering kiss—
She absolutely did.