My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}-Chapter 68: Recovery

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When I woke up again, the room was bathed in a soft evening glow that made it feel warmer than it actually was. I blinked a few times, my head felt heavy and my body sluggish, with tangled sheets wrapped around my legs. At first, it took me a moment to realize that I wasn’t dreaming this time, I was awake for real. My throat was still a bit sore, but the dizziness that had kept me down earlier had mostly faded away.

I sat up slowly, rubbing my temples as bits and pieces of the previous day came back to me. The fever, the chills. I recalled glimpses of Adrien moving about the room, pressing a cold cloth to my forehead and making me drink something that reminded me suspiciously of his mom’s chicken soup. It was still hard to believe

Adrien Fell, the guy who loved to call me a hamster, had actually taken care of me.

A smile crept onto my face despite myself. Perhaps things between us were finally changing. Maybe we were learning how to not be enemies anymore.

Then another image popped into my foggy mind, a softer one. Ethan’s face, his hand brushing my hair back, his voice softly saying my name. And that kiss. It had felt so real and gentle that my stomach fluttered just thinking about it. But then I groaned, flopping back onto the bed and burying my face in a pillow.

"Oh my god," I muttered. "It was just a dream. Of course it was."

Because Ethan wasn’t here. Even if he were, I doubted he’d show up in my room in the middle of nowhere to kiss me like some cheesy movie.

I sighed, trying to shake off the dull ache in my chest that came with that thought. Pushing myself out of bed, I ran my fingers through my messy hair and padded out of the room, my footsteps soft against the wooden floor.

The cabin was quiet except for a faint rustling coming from the kitchen. When I turned the corner, I saw Adrien standing by the open pantry, his back to me. His broad shoulders shifted slightly as he moved jars and boxes around like he was on a mission to rearrange the whole kitchen. The sleeves of his gray shirt were rolled up to his elbows, and his hair still had a bit of dampness to it, as if he had just showered.

For a moment, I stood there watching him, oddly aware of how familiar it felt , him moving around confidently in this space as if he had always belonged here. I cleared my throat softly, not wanting to startle him, but somehow I still managed to. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"Hey," I said, my voice a little raspy.

He turned his head, looking at me with that signature half-annoyed, half-relieved expression that was so typical of him. "You’re finally up," he said, shutting the pantry door. "I thought you were going to sleep through the next century."

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t help but notice the small smile tugging at his lips. "You should be happy. That means fewer hours you had to deal with me breathing your air."

"Trust me," he said, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed, "I noticed the silence. It was oddly peaceful."

I laughed weakly, leaning against the doorway to steady myself. "Well, sorry for ruining your peace by surviving."

His expression softened, just barely, but I caught it. "You look better," he said, his tone a touch gentler now. "Still sound like crap, though."

"Thanks," I replied dryly. "I’ll be sure to add that to my list of compliments from you."

For a brief moment, we just looked at each other, the air between us feeling awkwardly warm. I should’ve said thank you. I really wanted to. But the words got stuck somewhere between my heart and my throat, because acknowledging it out loud would make everything too real — that Adrien had stayed with me, fed me, looked after me when he didn’t have to.

And as I stood there watching him quietly organize cans on the shelf like it was the most important task in the world, I felt something shift again — small but undeniable. more than any fever ever could.

Adrien glanced over his shoulder at me, one brow raised as he grinned that familiar teasing smile. "You know," he said, tossing a box of cereal onto the shelf, "I sort of preferred you when you were half-dead. At least then, I got some actual peace and quiet to think."

I blinked, part offended, part amused. "Wow," I muttered with a soft laugh, "you’re such a charmer."

He smirked, clearly pleased with my reaction, but something about the way he shifted his weight, the slight awkwardness in his posture, the way his fingers lingered a bit too long on a can before he put it down... made me realize he was nervous. Adrien Fell didn’t get nervous.

Still, I pretended not to notice. I didn’t want to mess up the fragile normalcy hanging between us right now.

"A–anyway," I said, my voice softer now, "thanks for... you know, taking care of me."

He turned halfway toward me, his expression unreadable.

"I mean it," I added quickly, feeling my cheeks flush. "I remember bits and pieces, you helping me sit up, feeding me soup... and, uh, forcing medicine down my throat." I tried to smile, though my heart was thumping oddly. "You didn’t have to do any of that. So... thank you."

At first, he didn’t say anything. His green eyes were locked on mine, steady yet strangely conflicted, and for a moment, I wondered if I had said too much. I fidgeted with the edge of the counter to distract myself.

"Sorry if I was a burden," I continued nervously. "I swear, it won’t happen again. I’ll try not to almost die next time."

That got a faint flicker of amusement from him, the kind that softened his usual sharpness. He didn’t laugh, but the corners of his mouth twitched slightly. "You’re welcome," he finally replied, his tone low and quiet.

It didn’t seem like much, but somehow those two words felt warmer than any of his teasing ever did.

I nodded, suddenly unsure about what to do with my hands or my feelings. My mind kept replaying that hazy memory of him sitting beside my bed, the dim candlelight highlighting his tired features, his hand brushing my forehead to check my fever. I thought it was a dream at the time, but now I wasn’t so sure.

Before I could say anything else, he turned back to the pantry and muttered, "Dinner’ll be ready soon. Go lie down or something before you pass out again."

I smiled faintly at his back, a mix of gratitude and something else I couldn’t quite name bubbling up inside me. "Fine, fine. Just don’t burn anything while I’m gone."

"Please," he scoffed. "If I wanted to burn something, it’d be you."

"That’s nice," I said, laughing as I shook my head and headed for the living room.

As I sank onto the couch, I could still hear him moving around in the kitchen the clatter of dishes, the soft hum under his breath. My body still felt tired, but my heart felt unexpectedly light.

It was strange. I had spent so long thinking that Adrien lacked the capacity for kindness, not toward me, at least. But the quiet care he had shown, staying by my bedside without needing to be asked... it left me more unsettled than I wanted to admit.

And as I closed my eyes, I couldn’t help but wonder what was really going on behind that cool, indifferent façade... and why, all of a sudden, I wanted to understand him so badly.