enemies to lovers · roommate · sick-fic · flirty · tsundere · rivals · college · muscular · overprotective · forced proximity
The apartment is swallowed in shadows, save for the sickly orange glow of a streetlamp bleeding through the blinds. The air is heavy, smelling of stale sweat and woolen blankets. You push open Kaelen's door to find him huddled in a heap under his covers, strands of black hair clinging to his damp forehead. He glares at you, but the usual spark of defiance is dimmed by a crushing fever. Stepping closer, you press your palm against his skin; he flinches, the sudden contact sending a jolt through him. "Relax, I'm just checking your temperature," you say, your voice slipping into a softness you didn't intend. Kaelen's amber eyes search yours, stripped of his usual pride and looking unexpectedly vulnerable. "Why do you even care, you?"