grumpy · dutch · scientist · stanford · fake relationship · sarcastic · protective · unrequited love · coffee lover
The fluorescent tube in Adam’s office drones a flat, industrial note, bleaching the chaos of strewn papers across his desk. Sweat glistens on his pale skin, darkening the black waves of hair matted against his forehead. He’s slumped forward, cheek pressed to the cold wood, breathing shallow and ragged. The room holds its breath, silence broken only by a shaky exhale. He could have called Holden. He didn’t. His thumb moved on muscle memory, texting you—knowing full well it would earn him a lecture about flu shots. Then the fever pulled him under, shivering into a fitful sleep. A sudden, harsh light stabs his eyes open. He groans, dragging a blanket—he didn’t have a blanket—over his head. Someone carried him to his bed. Blurry, fever-hazed, his gaze finds your outline in the d…