When Kindness Feels Dangerous
1586 Words
Levi woke up freezing, her whole body trembling despite the blanket wrapped tightly around her. The fear from last night still lingered in her chest, a cold she couldn’t shake off. She tried to push it away — what mattered was that she survived… that someone pulled her out of that nightmare.
A sudden thought struck her.
She sat up slowly, scanning herself, and her heart sank a little. She was still wearing the exact same clothes from yesterday — damp, wrinkled, and cold against her skin. No wonder she had a fever creeping in; her clothes must have dried on her body while she waited in the dark for rescue.
And it also meant something else.
Khaleb hadn’t touched her.
Not even to change her into something warm.
Levi didn’t know what emotion was supposed to come next.
Should she feel relieved he respected her?
Or dismayed that he didn’t bother to make her more comfortable?
Was she supposed to be thankful? Annoyed? Embarrassed?
Her jaw tightened. Everything felt confusing — last night, the fear, the cold, and now this strange mix of disappointment and gratitude swirling inside her.
All she knew was that she was safe…
and he was the reason she made it home at all.
Levi didn’t know what to do anymore.
This—this was never part of the plan.
She was supposed to keep her distance.
She was supposed to stay cold.
She was supposed to get her revenge.
Yet here she was…
Her mission wasn’t this.
Her heart wasn’t supposed to betray her.
Khaleb wasn’t supposed to be kind.
He wasn’t supposed to look at her like she mattered.
He wasn’t supposed to come running through the darkness like a knight in shining armor just to save her.
But he did.
And that simple truth cracked something inside her—something she had carefully built to protect herself.
For the first time… Levi didn’t feel like the avenger in her own story.
She felt like a girl who had almost been swallowed by the dark—
and the only person who found her was the one she was meant to hate.
She was lost in her own thoughts when the door slowly creaked open. Khaleb stepped inside, carrying a bucket with steam rising from it, a towel draped over his shoulder like he meant serious business. Levi stared at him, confused.
“Nasubukan mo na ba ang ganitong klaseng paggagamot?” Khaleb asked.
She blinked at him. “Seriously? What are you, a… doctor quack?”
“Aba! Huwag mong minamaliit ang pagtotoob. Epektibo ’to, no. Tradisyonal pero tumatalab.”
“And what exactly am I supposed to do with that hot water? Pour it on myself?” she asked sarcastically.
Khaleb raised one brow. “Pwede rin… kung gusto mong balatan ang sarili mo.”
“Am I a snake?” she snapped.
“Nope.” He smirked. “Brat siguro… oo.”
She scowled. “Come on, Khaleb. I don’t need that doctor-quack thing. Just give me meds and I’ll take a nap.”
“Hmmm. Bibigyan kita ng one hundred percent na kasiguraduhan… gagaling ka dito. Trust me.”
“And if not? I’m gonna pour that hot water on you. Trust me—I can do it.”
“Deal.”
Before she could protest further, Khaleb set the bucket on the table beside her bed.
Then, surprisingly gentle, he took the towel from his shoulder and opened it.
“Up ka,” he said.
“What for—hey!”
He guided her to sit up, steadying her by the waist when she wobbled.
“Relax. Hindi kita kakainin,” he muttered, though the way his hand lingered on her side made her heartbeat jump.
He wrapped the towel loosely around the back of her head and shoulders, creating a dome for the steam.
“Bakit parang ginagawa mo akong siopao?” she grumbled.
“Para hindi sayang ang init,” he said, fixing the towel carefully. “Tsaka para hindi ka manginig diyan.”
He positioned the bucket in front of her, checked the distance, then leaned closer to test the heat with his hand.
“Okay… pwede na. Lean forward.”
She hesitated. “Khaleb, it looks like it wants to kill me.”
He chuckled. “Hindi ’yan. Kung may papatay sa ’yo, hindi ’yan… ako ’yon kasi hindi ka marunong sumunod.”
“KH—!”
Before she could pull away, he gently held the sides of her head, guiding her closer to the steam.
At first, Levi jerked back from the heat.
“Ouch ! Khaleb! this would caused me 2nd degree burn!”
Khaleb clicked his tongue. “Dramatic.”
He slid one hand behind her head, fingers warm but firm. Not hurting—just keeping her steady.
“Stay still,” he said, voice low.
“Khaleb… it feels like my face is melting.”
“It won’t,” he murmured behind her. “Ako nga, mas malala pa ginawa ni Mama sa akin. Buhay pa rin ako.”
“Because you’re built like a buffalo,” she complained. “I’m fragile.”
Khaleb snorted softly. “Fragile daw. Eh kagabi nga, halos kagatin mo leeg ko sa takot.”
Her eyes widened under the towel. “KHAL—!”
“Shhh.” His thumb brushed her temple unconsciously, comforting. “Keep breathing the steam. Galingan mo… para gumaling ka na.”
Despite the heat and her annoyance, Levi felt something else warm her chest—
the way he stayed close, guiding her, steadying her, protecting her without saying the words.
Levi finally lifted her head from the steam, coughing lightly as she pushed the towel away.
“See?” Khaleb said, hands still hovering near her shoulders in case she swayed. “Hindi ka naman namatay.”
“I almost did,” she muttered, fanning her face. “My soul left my body and came back twice.”
He rolled his eyes. “Drama queen.”
Before she could argue, he took the towel from behind her and gently wiped her forehead, slow and careful like she was made of glass. The sudden softness in his movements caught her off guard.
“You’re sweating like crazy,” he murmured. “Good. Mas lalabas ang lamig.”
Levi swallowed, suddenly very aware of how close he was… and how his calloused fingers brushed her cheekbones like it was nothing.
“You don´t need to do this” she said quietly, almost defensive.
Khaleb paused for a second, meeting her eyes.
"So sino mag aalaga sayo, si tandang?.”
Her breath hitched.
He cleared his throat quickly and continued wiping her down. Khaleb finished wiping the remaining droplets from her face and neck, making sure she wasn’t shivering anymore before stepping back.
“Sige… I’ll give you a minute para makapagbihis ka,” he said quietly, already moving toward the door. His voice wasn’t teasing now — just calm, steady concern. “Huwag ka munang magmadali. Tawagin mo ‘ko kung nahihilo ka.”
Levi only nodded as he slipped out, closing the door halfway.
She exhaled slowly the moment he left. Finally.
Her skin still tingled from the steam, her head felt lighter, and her clothes… well, they needed changing badly. She moved slowly, careful not to trigger a dizzy spell, replacing her damp, wrinkled clothes with something warm and dry.
Minutes later, a soft knock tapped the door before it opened again.
Khaleb walked back inside, sleeves rolled up, hair still damp from earlier chores — a loose strand falling over his cheek. He held a small tray with a mug of warm water and two kinds of medicine. His tattoos peeked from the edge of his shirt, the patterns dark against his sun-tanned skin. Levi found herself staring for a second — quietly, subtly — just appreciating how someone could look so annoyingly… well-put together even when he was worried.
She snapped her gaze away before he noticed.
“Ayos ka lang?” Khaleb asked as he closed the distance.
“I’m fine,” she muttered, though her voice came out softer than intended.
He placed the tray on the bedside table and crouched beside her. “Pain reliever muna. Then itong isa, para sa lagnat.”
Levi took the pills, but her hand trembled slightly. Khaleb saw it instantly — of course he did — and he simply picked up the glass of water and held it out to her, steady and patient.
“Here.”
She took a sip, swallowing the meds one by one. When she handed the glass back, Khaleb didn’t move away yet. Instead, he scanned her forehead with the back of his hand, checking the warmth.
“Medyo bumaba na,” he murmured, almost to himself.
“For someone who’s not a doctor,” Levi mumbled, “you’re taking this seriously.”
Khaleb just gave her that faint, leveled look — the kind that didn’t need words to show he genuinely cared.
“I’ll check on you again in a few minutes,” he said as he stood. “Kung may maramdaman ka, tawagin mo ‘ko agad, tatapusin ko lang ang niluluto kong sopas ng makakain kana.”
He left the door slightly open this time — close enough for privacy, but open enough so he’d hear her if she needed anything.
And for the first time since last night, Levi felt… oddly safe.
- Writer
