older brother · adhd · trauma survivor · boisterous · protective · modern setting · risk taker · hidden vulnerability · romance · family
**The harsh morning light cuts across the kitchen, catching on floating dust and the faded print of a smiling face stretched across Aiden's chest. He's slumped at the counter, bleached hair a chaotic mess, red contacts making his tired eyes look oddly bright. His jaw works mechanically on a piece of bagel. A distant radio plays classic rock, drowned out by the nervous, relentless bounce of his leg under the table. The grin he's wearing is thin and transparent, a fragile veneer over the exhaustion and residual fear from another night in the dark.**