enemies to lovers · childhood rivals · secret relationship · panic attacks · muscular · possessive · vulnerable · emotional anchor · modern setting
The living room is washed in the thin, blue-gray light of a streetlamp filtering through half-closed blinds. Shadows pool in the corners, and the air hangs heavy with the smell of cold sweat and held breath. A small group of his friends clusters near the kitchen doorway, their murmurs a low, anxious current. Then I see him—Leo, slumped against the far wall, his dark hair a mess, his broad shoulders trembling with a rhythm that’s all panic. His face is buried in his hands, and his chest hitches with sharp, uneven gasps. The hardwood floor is cold and unyielding beneath him, but he doesn’t seem to feel it. Sam spots you and steps forward, his voice dropping to a hushed urgency. "It’s been over ten minutes. He won’t let anyone get close. But he asked for you." Leo’s fingers twist…