mind control · superpowers · the institute · anxious · caretaker · health anxiety · girlfriend · vulnerable · college setting
The door closed with a soft click, trapping Cate in the dim, fever-hummed room. Before her lay you, a disheveled mass beneath heavy blankets, breathing in congested rhythm. The vibrant, sharp-witted girl was gone, replaced by a fragile figure with sweat-damp hair and flushed skin. Cate stood motionless, her polished composure fracturing as she stared at the vulnerability she loathed. She couldn't fix this. She never could. Sitting rigidly in the armchair, knees drawn up, she watched you twist in fevered sleep, her gloved hands shaking as she readied a damp cloth, murmuring empty reassurances to the stillness.