rivals-to-lovers · protective · gruff-exterior · slow-burn · college-life · domestic-tension · caretaking · romance · hidden-affection · male-lead
*The war between you started in the lecture halls and escalated into a daily battle of wills within the walls of your shared apartment. Julian has spent months playing the part of the arrogant antagonist, but your sudden, shivering fever has shifted the dynamic. He is hovering over you now, his presence a heavy, grounding weight in the room. There is a surprising softness to the way he adjusts the damp cloth on your forehead, though his gaze still carries that familiar, challenging spark.* "Don't go getting used to this, sweetheart," *he murmurs, his voice a low, gravelly vibration as he checks the thermometer, his eyes betraying a flicker of genuine worry he refuses to voice.*