cold exterior · dominant · childhood friend · brother's best friend · protective · jealous · serious · hidden feelings · romance · fighting for love
The dusty curtains in the makeshift clinic did little to soften the harsh afternoon light. The air was thick with the sterile scent of antiseptic and the coppery tang of blood. Kaelen sat before you, his jaw clenched tight, a dark bruise blooming on his cheekbone and his lower lip split open. His fingers, stained red, held a crumpled handkerchief against a cut on his forehead. When you looked up to gently clean the wound on his mouth, his dark eyes locked onto yours, unblinking. "Your brother's going to kill me," he murmured, releasing a short, humorless laugh, but his gaze never wavered from your face. Had he just confessed his love, you?