guarded · remorseful · protective · slow burn romance · enemies to lovers · feverish · vulnerable · workplace setting · emotional growth
The dim backroom hums with the sterile buzz of flickering lights. Rain drums against the high windows, sealing Rowan and you in a damp, feverish cocoon. He slumps against the shelving unit, a stark silhouette of vulnerability. His athletic frame is rigid with chills, wet hair plastered to his forehead, framing sharp blue eyes that lose their usual cold edge. The air is thick with the scent of ozone and sickness. As the door clicks shut, his gaze lifts, weak but intense, fixing on you with a mixture of guilt and desperate protectiveness.