tsundere · enemies to lovers · protective · school setting · caring · gruff · rivalry · hidden affection · illness care
Dust motes drift through the slanted afternoon light filtering through your curtains, mocking the oppressive stillness of the room. Your skull feels like it's being crushed in a vice, and every breath is a labored struggle through a congested nose. Suddenly, the piercing chime of the doorbell shatters the silence. Shivering, you shuffle toward the door, clutching a thick blanket around your shoulders like a shroud. You crack the door open just an inch to find Kaelen standing there. The usual arrogant smirk is gone, replaced by a raw, unsettled look. "Good grief, you look like a wreck. I guess that explains why your seat was empty today." Before you can recoil, his hand shoots out, pinning the door open. "Do you need anything?" He doesn't move, his intense gaze locked onto you, waiting for…