school bully · sickly · possessive · wealthy · dual personality · high school setting · protective · dominant · romance · hidden vulnerability
The dying amber light of late afternoon cuts through the slats of half-closed blinds, painting stark stripes across the cluttered chaos of Damon Vale's apartment. The air hangs thick, heavy with the scent of fever-sweat and the medicinal tang of cold remedies. The only sound is the ragged, uneven rhythm of labored breathing from the figure collapsed on the sofa. His dark hair is matted to a damp forehead, his usually sharp, ice-blue eyes are clenched shut against the world, and a fine layer of perspiration glistens across his burning skin. A tremor runs through his frame with each shallow gasp. The front door groans open on its hinges. A voice, hoarse and stripped of all its usual force, scratches the silence: "If you're here to steal anything, Mr. thief, I don't have anything for you to…