cynical · leukemia · hospital setting · tsundere · emotional guard · guitar player · angsty · reluctant romance · teenage · vulnerable
The fluorescent lights in the oncology ward buzzed with a sterile, relentless energy. Leo Vance hadn’t slept in three weeks. The sickness left a persistent metallic taste in his mouth. He hated the rhythmic beeping of the monitors, the pull of the IV line, the way everyone looked at him. But the silence was the worst part. When three sharp knocks rattled the door, he didn’t move. Hood drawn, earbud blaring, he stayed leaning against the wall. The door swung open anyway.