Chapter 4 : forced encounter

The hospital room smelled faintly of antiseptic and old medicine. Kael stood at the foot of the bed, tense, hands clenched by his sides. His father was resting, unconscious from the stress-induced collapse, monitors beeping softly.

Then the door opened.

“Kaslow?” the charge nurse called. “You’re assigned to Mr. Rivenhart.”

Garven stepped in, his scrubs crisp, hands steady despite the storm brewing inside him. He froze for a split second when he saw Kael.

Kael’s eyes met his — steel gray locking onto Garven’s dark almond ones. That same intensity from the night before, amplified a hundredfold.

“You… are assigned here?” Kael’s voice was low, controlled, but there was an edge Kael didn’t fully understand himself.

Garven swallowed, holding the clipboard tighter than necessary. His hands shook slightly — whether from nerves, fatigue, or lingering heartbreak, Kael couldn’t tell.

“Y-Yes,” Garven said quietly. “I’ll take care of your father.” He bowed slightly, professional but careful to avoid Kael’s gaze. “I’ll make sure everything’s stable.”

Kael wanted to say something cutting, something sarcastic — to remind Garven of the pain he had caused — but the sight of him, so calm and competent despite everything, stopped the words.

Damn, Kael thought. He’s… so different now. So… damn sexy. And I can’t stop noticing it.

Garven approached the bedside, checking vitals, writing notes, moving with precision. Kael watched, noticing every detail: the way his jaw tightened when concentrating, the smooth curve of his neck, the pale skin almost glowing under the hospital lights, and the subtle tremor in his hands that betrayed the chaos inside.

Kael’s chest tightened — part irritation, part jealousy, part something he didn’t want to admit.

“I’ll need to update you on his medication,” Garven said softly, looking up at Kael for the briefest moment. Their eyes met, and Garven quickly looked away, pretending professionalism, but Kael caught the flicker of emotion — the same fragile vulnerability he had seen when Garven cried.

Kael’s jaw tightened again. Why does seeing him like this bother me so much?

He forced a nod. “Fine. Go ahead.”

For the next half hour, Kael hovered, ostensibly watching his father, but every glance he stole at Garven was electric. Garven, for his part, kept interactions strictly professional, but his hands occasionally brushed over the clipboard too tightly, his throat tightening whenever Kael spoke.

Finally, Garven stepped back, wiping sweat from his brow. Kael’s father stirred, mumbling softly.

“I’ll check back in an hour,” Garven said, voice low but firm. He gave a curt nod to Kael before leaving.

Kael exhaled sharply the second the door clicked shut.

He hadn’t meant to notice.

He hadn’t meant to care.

But the image burned into him:

Garven, pale as moonlight, glasses slightly askew, ethereal eyes flashing for the briefest moment, competent yet vulnerable.

Kael muttered to himself, a whisper of frustration he couldn’t hide:

“…Damn it. I can’t stop thinking about him.”

Close Quarters, Sharp Words

Kael leaned against the wall outside his father’s hospital room, arms crossed, eyes tracking Garven as he adjusted the IV lines. The crisp white scrubs clung to Garven’s lean frame, the fabric tightening over his slim waist and shoulders — subtle, but impossible to ignore.

Kael cleared his throat. “So… you’re the one taking care of me now?” His tone was flat, but there was an edge — a teasing, challenging edge.

Garven stiffened, clipboard clutched to his chest. “I… yes. I’ll ensure your father’s vitals remain stable. That’s my job.” His voice was polite, calm, but something in it betrayed tension — he avoided Kael’s gaze.

Kael smirked, stepping closer. “Hmm. I see. Very… efficient. Professional.” He let the words linger, his gaze flicking over Garven’s slim waist and the taut line of his torso beneath the scrubs. “But I wonder… do you always look this… meticulous?”

Garven’s throat constricted. He shifted his weight, straightening his back instinctively, fingers tightening on the clipboard. “I take pride in my work,” he said quietly. “Appearance matters when patients rely on you.”

Kael’s smirk deepened. He circled slightly, leaning casually against the bedframe, just close enough that Garven could feel the heat radiating from him. “Pride, huh? Interesting. I remember a very different version of you… softer, rounder, less… noticeable. Quite the change.”

Garven flinched — the jab cut deeper than Kael probably intended. “People change,” he replied, voice firmer now, trying to reclaim control. “I focus on improving myself. Professionally… personally.”

Kael leaned lower, resting an elbow on the bedframe, letting his gray eyes lock with Garven’s dark ones. “Oh, I noticed.” His gaze slid slowly over Garven’s frame again, lingering for just a heartbeat too long on the tight scrubs outlining his slim waist. “Not just your professionalism… the rest of you. Seems… very different than I remember.”

Garven felt his cheeks flush despite himself, looking down at the clipboard. “That’s… irrelevant,” he muttered, barely keeping his composure.

Kael straightened, tone teasing, but curiosity shining in his eyes. “Irrelevant? I think it’s very relevant. I’m trying to figure out… what made this version of Garven. The one who can make even hospital scrubs look… like something dangerous.”

Garven swallowed hard. He forced a measured nod, hiding the way his heart had skipped. “I… just do my job. That’s all.”

Kael chuckled low, shaking his head. “Right. Just the job. And yet… I can’t stop noticing it.”

The silence that followed was thick. Every movement Garven made — adjusting a pillow, checking an IV line — felt amplified under Kael’s gaze. The teasing tone, the subtle intimidation, the way Kael observed him… it made Garven’s professional mask feel impossibly fragile.

Kael finally leaned back, smirk still in place, tone softened slightly: “Don’t think I’m done noticing either, Garven. Just… keep doing your job. I’ll be watching.”

Garven’s jaw tightened. He swallowed, cheeks still warm, and turned back to his patient, trying to focus — but he could feel Kael’s eyes lingering on his form, teasing and assessing, and it made it impossible to ignore how much this encounter was stirring something… dangerous, confusing, and painfully alive inside him.

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