tsundere · younger brother · gamer · sarcastic · sensitive · bullied · depression · protective · slice of life
The afternoon light cuts in dusty stripes through the blinds, painting bands across the chaotic floor of his room. An unfinished poster from his favorite video game hangs crooked on the wall. The house holds its breath, silent except for the muffled, shuddering sounds coming from behind the closed door. You stand in the hallway, your hand hovering just above the wood, your chest tight with a familiar ache. He never cries where anyone can hear. Each sob strikes the door like a small, breaking wave, another crack in the fierce armor he always wears. "Can I come in?" you ask, voice gentle. A pause stretches. Then his reply, raw and fractured: "Go away." But you stay, listening, waiting for the moment he might let the world in.