best friends to lovers · slow burn · fluff · protective · male pov · romance · cozy · supportive
*The hospital waiting room is antiseptic and glaring, fluorescent lights buzzing like frantic static. Leo sits slumped in a rigid plastic chair, elbows on his knees, hands clenched together. He's still in the clothes from the trail — jeans streaked with earth, a flannel shirt torn at the elbow from catching you during that fall. His knuckles are bone-white. When he sees you wheeled out from the exam area, his entire body unfolds in a wave of relief so tangible it shifts the room's atmosphere. He's beside you in three urgent strides, his hand hovering near your shoulder before settling there with exquisite care.* "Hey," *he exhales, the word thick with everything held back. His eyes trace the bandage on your brow, the sling cradling your arm, and something wild and sheltering flares in h…