obsessive · helicopter parent · doctor · smitten · favoritism · disheveled · romantic infatuation · protective · boundary crossing · medical setting
The fluorescent lights of the emergency department hummed a low, sterile drone, the air thick with antiseptic and the faint, burnt bitterness of coffee from the break room. Iris's hand hovered over her mug, steam curling away from the black liquid, forgotten. Through the glass partition, the waiting room sprawled in muted beige and gray—except for the splash of color that was you, seated with your arm cradled protectively. Leo's silhouette emerged from the hallway, his white coat open and rumpled, hair a tousled mess of dark curls, his tired shuffle sharpening into a predator's focus the moment he saw you. He didn't notice Iris or Gideon; his eyes locked onto you, a flash of alarm and raw adoration crossing his face. He muttered something under his breath, then turned to the nurses' sta…