My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}-Chapter 66: Under The Weather (BC)

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By the time we finally sat down for our meal, I was already feeling sluggish, like my limbs weighed a bit more than usual. Normally, I’d be halfway through my food by now, but the inviting aroma of pancakes, sweet and buttery...barely stirred my appetite. I tried to look composed, poking at the stack on my plate while Adrien poured syrup over his pancakes like he didn’t know what ’portion control’ meant.

He picked up on it, of course. He always did, especially when I wished he wouldn’t. "You’re not inhaling your food as usual," he said, leaning back in his chair, fork halfway to his mouth. "You okay?"

I forced a smile, though it didn’t quite reach my eyes. "Yeah, I’m fine. Just not really hungry."

He shot me a skeptical look, one eyebrow raised. "And you look pale," he remarked. "Like, ghost-level pale." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

I scoffed and took another bite, trying to prove him wrong, though chewing felt like a chore. "I said I’m fine, Doctor Fell."

Before he could retort, a loud sneeze escaped me, completely unladylike. I barely had time to cover it with my elbow before Adrien grimaced.

"Uh-huh," he said flatly, putting down his fork. "Really? Totally fine? Because sneezing five times in an hour is super normal. You’re probably coming down with something."

I rolled my eyes, but I could feel my cheeks getting hot, and it wasn’t just from embarrassment. "It’s nothing," I mumbled, reaching for my glass of water. My throat felt raw. "I’ll be okay after a nap or something."

Adrien looked at me, a combination of disbelief and concern on his face. "You should take it easy before it gets worse," he said, his tone more serious now. "Seriously. No need to be a hero or whatever. Just rest."

I nodded absently and pushed my chair back, standing a bit too quickly. "Yeah, I’ll—" The words caught in my throat as the room tilted slightly and my knees felt wobbly.

Before I could stumble, Adrien was up, his hands gripping my arms to keep me steady. His touch was warm and solid, his palms wrapping around my forearms like I was weightless. "Hey, take it easy," he said, his voice low but commanding. "You’re not fine, Noah. You’re not fooling anyone. Go rest."

I blinked up at him, a bit disoriented, trying to come up with a joke or a sarcastic comment, but all I managed was a weak, "I just stood up too fast..."

"Yeah, right," he muttered, not buying it for a second. "Go. Bed. Now. I’ll clean up."

I felt a flicker of the urge to argue, old habits die hard—but another wave of dizziness made the decision for me. I nodded, mumbling a quiet "thanks" as I shuffled out of the kitchen.

The short walk up the stairs felt longer than it should have. My legs ached, and by the time I reached my room, I was too exhausted to even change out of my pajamas. I collapsed onto the bed, curling under the blanket as a shiver ran through me.

I could hear Adrien moving around downstairs, the clatter of dishes, the soft scrape of a chair, maybe a sigh or two, but soon everything started to fade out.

3rd Person’s POV

By noon, the sun had climbed high above the pines, casting soft rays through the dusty cabin windows. It was quiet inside, just the gentle hum of the wind outside and the occasional creak of the wooden walls settling. Adrien sat on the edge of the couch, elbows on his knees, distractedly twirling a pen between his fingers while he stared at the flickering fireplace that hadn’t been attended to since the morning.

It had been two hours since Noah went upstairs, claiming he just needed a little rest. He hadn’t heard a peep from him since then, no movement, not even a cough. He told himself not to think too much about it. Noad probably just needed the sleep, and hovering would make him look like some kind of worrywart (something a guy like him could not afford, by the way). Still, that silence pressed on him, heavy and unsettling.

He let out a slow breath and leaned back, his eyes tracing the ceiling. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d spent this long in a house without wanting to break something or yell just to fill the silence. But Noah had somehow changed that. Against all odds, they’d become... tolerable. Maybe even a bit close. He almost laughed at the thought.

Noah was still annoying, still snarky and stubborn, still grimaced at him whenever Adrien called him "princess." But he didn’t look at Adrien the way he used to...didn’t flinch or glare at him with that sharp edge of disgust he’d come to expect. Now, when their eyes met, there was something different there. Hesitation, maybe curiosity, and sometimes warmth when Noah thought he wasn’t watching.

It wasn’t much, but for him, it meant everything.

He rubbed his jaw, his thumb brushing against the faint stubble there, muttering under his breath, "Guess that’s progress, huh?"

Progress. That was one way to put it. Another way was torture.

Because every time Noah smiled, every time he laughed or looked at him with those wide, bright eyes, Adrien felt that old ache stirring in his chest again, the one he’d buried years ago beneath sarcasm and cruelty. It was easier when Noah hated him. Back then, he could convince himself that he didn’t care. Pretend he was just another target, just another person who didn’t matter. But lately, all that pretending felt empty.

And then there was Ethan.

He scowled at the thought, pushing a hand through his hair. Ethan, with his perfect grin and easy charm. The guy everyone liked. The guy Noah liked. The one who actually had the guts to tell Noah how he felt. Adrien could still hear his casual tone when he mentioned it, like he didn’t realize how much that sentence had burned itself into his mind.

"He told me he loved me."

He clenched his jaw, staring out the window. He had no right to feel jealous did he did. Hell, he didn’t even have the right to want Noaj, not after everything he’d done. And he wasn’t his to want anyway. He was his stepbrother. That single fact was enough to keep him chained to silence.

He had no chance but to take these feelings to his grave.

But that didn’t make them any less real.

He sighed, pushing himself up and pacing toward the staircase. "It’s been two hours," he muttered to himself. "He’s probably fine. Just sleeping." Even he didn’t find his words convincing... before he knew it, he was already walking to Noah’s bedroom.

Halfway up the stairs, he stopped. This was ridiculous. What was he going to do, watch Noah sleep? He’d probably wake up and catch him being weird, and he’d never hear the end of it. But that image of Noah at breakfast, pale, tired, his movements slow—stuck in Adrien’s mind.

"Whatever," he mumbled, raking a hand through his hair as he climbed the last few steps. "If he’s fine, he can yell at me for checking. If he’s not..." He trailed off, swallowing hard. He didn’t want to finish that thought.

When he reached Noah’s door, he hesitated and knocked gently. "Hey, Noah?" he called, trying to sound casual, at least. "You dead or just ignoring me again?"

Silence.

He frowned and knocked again, this time a little softer. "Noah?"

Still nothing.

His stomach twisted as he reached for the doorknob and turned it slowly. The door creaked open, revealing a dimly lit room. Noah was curled up on his side, wrapped in a blanket that had slipped halfway off his shoulder. Hid face was flushed, and a sheen of sweat glimmered on his skin. Strands of hair clung to his forehead.

Adrien’s expression softened. "Oh, shit," he muttered, stepping closer. He crouched beside the bed, careful not to wake him, and touched the back of his fingers to his forehead. The heat radiating from Noah’s skin made his heart sink.

"Idiot," he whispered, his voice rougher than he intended. "And you said you were fine."

He lingered for a moment, watching the slow rise and fall of his chest. Seeing him so still, so defenseless, made his chest ache. He was always trying so hard to be strong, to act like nothing could get to him—but here he was, fragile and burning up, and he just couldn’t look away.

He stood up, quietly adjusting the blanket around Noah’s shoulders before stepping back. For a moment, he stayed by the doorframe, his hand resting against it.

"You’re a pain in the ass, you know that?" he murmured softly, almost smiling.

With that, he turned and left the room, already planning to search the kitchen for medicine and a cold towel, anything to help lower Noah’s fever.

Even if he’d never know it, Adrien would stay close until he did.

𝔞𝔲𝔱𝔥𝔬𝔯’𝔰 𝔯𝔞𝔪𝔟𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔰: three bonus Chapters because we hit 5 golden tickets🥳🎉

It might seem small compared to other works, but to me this is a huge milestone!

Once again, thank you all for for your support and encouragement, I never really thought this novel would ever get this much love from you all.... don’t forget to keep it coming in any way you can 💪💖