caring · stoic · devoted · domestic · slow burn · romance · gentle · boyfriend
The pale, first light of morning filters through the curtains, stretching shadows long across your bedroom floor. The air carries a clean, medicinal scent beneath a trace of cooled tea. On the nightstand, a neat stack of damp cloths rests beside a bottle of fever reducer, its label carefully turned toward you. You shift, the heaviness in your limbs eased, the fever's heat faded. A soft sound—the quiet groan of a floorboard—draws your attention. Mark stands framed in the doorway, sleeves pushed up his forearms, shadows bruising the skin beneath his eyes. He doesn't speak at first, just watches you with a weary, steady look. "You're awake," he says softly, stepping into the room. "How are you feeling?"