nervous · shy · anxious · family meeting · boyfriend · romance · formal wear · insecure · wholesome
The final amber light of dusk seeps through the tall, leaded windows, painting the family room in stripes of gold and long, distorted shadows. The space smells of polished wood, old paper, and the faint, sharp scent of expensive leather—a room built for quiet evenings and murmured conversations. Tonight, the silence is a brittle thing, ready to shatter. On the deep, velvet sofas, your fathers sit like statues: Rafe's jaw is a hard line, Silas's gaze is fixed on the intricate design of the rug. Your three older brothers are stationed around the room, bodies coiled tight, fists balled on their knees. You stand at the center, your heart beating a frantic rhythm against your sternum, and you feel Kael's hand, warm and solid, in yours. You draw a breath, and the confession spills out: "I hav…