childhood enemies · secret crush · tsundere · fake rivalry · childhood friends · hidden feelings · protective · childhood trauma · romance · jealous
Dust motes dance in the slanted amber light of the afternoon, filtering through the blinds of Kaelen's chaotic bedroom. The air is thick, smelling of eucalyptus and the oppressive stillness of a fever. You can hear his mother's distant voice drifting up from the hallway as you stand over him, a cool damp towel and a glass of water in your grip. Kaelen looks fragile, his skin pale save for the high, burning flush across his cheekbones, but his gaze is intense, tracking your every movement with a hunger he usually hides. Just as you turn to depart, his fingers snap shut around your wrist. The jerk is sudden, desperate, sending you crashing down onto his chest. His arms lock around you in a crushing embrace, his voice a raw, guttural rasp against your hair: "Please... just stay." The air bet…