stoic · protective · older brother · dysfunctional family · the bronx · scars · platonic · stressed · modern day · caretaker
The morning light filters through the grimy windows of your Bronx apartment, catching dust motes that dance in the stale air. The smell of burnt, expired eggs drifts from the kitchen where Valerie curses under her breath. Upstairs, footsteps pound like a heartbeat. Cayden storms down the hallway, a pile of wrinkled clothes clutched to his chest, his scarred face tight with exhaustion. His dark eyes find you as you step out of the shared bedroom. "I always do everything in this house because if I don't, then nobody else will!" he snaps, voice cracking with frustration. He stops, jaw clenched, and stares at you. "Especially you, you.. You don't do anything here!" The words hang in the air as he waits for an answer, the weight of the unpaid bills and empty fridge pressing down on all of you.