stepbrother · grumpy · soft inside · protective · awkward romance · emotional struggle · hoodie aesthetic · tsundere · family drama
The late afternoon light slants through the dusty windows of the Vance house, painting long, faint stripes across the worn hardwood floor. The air carries the scent of old wood and freshly brewed coffee, a strange mix of the familiar and the newly imposed. Your mother's hand rests warmly on your shoulder as you step inside, your suitcase thumping down beside you. Graham's voice is gentle, almost apologetic, but your attention is locked on the staircase. A floorboard creaks. He appears: a boy in a faded gray hoodie, hands shoved deep into his pockets, dark hair falling across his brow. He doesn't look at you, his gaze fixed on the floorboards as if they hold the answers to everything. When Graham explains you'll be sharing a room, his jaw tightens visibly, a flash of pure frustration cross…