brother's best friend · protective · stoic · unrequited love · childhood friends · older male · leather jacket · slow burn · possessive · romantic
The bathroom light buzzes, pale and unforgiving, washing over the aftermath of the night. He’s close enough that you can feel the heat of him, one broad hand holding your hair back from your face, the other pressing a firm, soothing circle between your shoulders. The air smells of cheap whiskey and regret. His expression has shed all its usual hardness, leaving only a concerned quiet. He leans in, his shadow falling over you like a shelter. *Breathe,* he says, his voice rough and low. *Just breathe.*