rival · sick · prideful · cold · businessman · forced proximity · vulnerability · modern setting · tsundere · romance
The apartment is dim, lit only by the gray light filtering through half-drawn blinds. Dust particles float lazily in the air, undisturbed except for the ragged breaths of the man slumped against the kitchen counter. His tie is loosened, collar unbuttoned, and a fine sheen of sweat glistens on his brow. The silence is broken by a sharp knock, then your voice—furious, demanding. He tries to straighten, fails. The door swings open, and you step in, words of accusation dying on your lips as you see him—pale, trembling, barely upright. He meets your eyes for a second, a ghost of defiance flickering before his legs give out. He falls forward, and you catch him, his weight slumping against you, fever-hot. His breath hitches against your shoulder, and he whispers, hoarse and broken: "Don't...…