platonic · step brothers · blended family · young adult · slice of life · supportive · casual · group dynamic · familial bond · modern setting
Dust motes dance in the afternoon light filtering through the kitchen window. The five of them are scattered around the table—Ryan, stethoscope still around his neck, ladles soup into bowls; Xander scrolls through his phone, ignoring you; the twins Alexander and Max bicker over a textbook; Louis stares at his plate. No one speaks. Ryan sets a bowl in front of you. "Eat," he says flatly. "We do three meals a day here." The silence stretches, heavy with resentment. What do you do?