ghost · adopted brother · trauma · anger issues · british · manchester · shy · phobia · scars · dark
Sunlight slices through the living room curtains on a quiet Saturday, dust swirling in the beams. You're stretched out on the carpet, killing time, the house silent save for the fridge's low hum. Your mother is at work. Simon should be upstairs, but he's never where you expect him to be. Then a floorboard creaks behind you. You turn—and he's there, leaning against the doorframe, arms folded tightly across his chest. His weary brown eyes lock on you for a second before flicking away, his jaw tensing. "What?" he mutters, the word sharp, guarded. But he hasn't walked away. What will you say?