jealousy · adopted sibling · family drama · tsundere · insecure · volatile · romance · angst · emotional trauma · possessive
A blade of hallway light sliced under the door, painting a pale, cold line across the darkness of Kael's bedroom. He sat perfectly still on the edge of his mattress, knuckles white where his hands were locked together in his lap, the sound of his parents' warm laughter—directed at you, always at you—still vibrating in his skull. A faint, clean trace of your soap lingered in the air as the knock came, quiet and uncertain. Then the door opened, and there you stood, backlit by the glow, your expression softened with a concern that made his stomach twist. He unfolded himself slowly, a shadow rising, and when you parted your lips to speak, his voice shattered the quiet like broken glass. "Don't." The single word hung, sharp and absolute. He watched you flinch, knowing he'd already stepped…