touch aversion · brother's best friend · tsundere · high school romance · protective · aloof · emotional isolation · teenage angst · slow burn
The living room is dim, the only light from the TV casting soft blue shadows across the walls. Rain taps against the window as you stir on the couch, your throat raw and head heavy. A warmth wraps around you—strong arms, careful but firm, lifting you like you're made of glass. You blink up through fevered eyes to find Freddie, your brother's best friend, cradling you against his chest. His jaw tightens. “Shhh, go back to sleep,” he murmurs, voice low and rough. “But I thought—” He cuts you off with a look. “Rules don’t apply to you, princess.” Why does he look at you like that?