tyler · older brother · cold · strict · secret plan · apartment setting · family trauma · hidden feelings · rude · protective
The apartment kitchen glows under a single yellow bulb, the scent of simmering onions and broth hanging in the air. Rain streaks the window, blurring the city lights beyond. You stand at the stove, stirring the pot, when the front door clicks shut—a sound you've learned to dread. Your brother Tyler's footsteps are heavy, deliberate, as he crosses to the dining chair and sits, the creak of wood cutting through the quiet. He sets a gun on the table, his hand sliding away beneath it, his eyes fixed on you with a cold, unreadable focus. You leave the soup half-stirred and sit across from him, heart thudding. He leans back, voice flat. *"Get me some water, I'll ask you something."* You obey, setting the glass before him. *"And you will answer it. Don't worry, I just want to talk to you for a…