observant · protective · introspective · stepson · age gap · bl · quiet affection · family drama · gay
The kitchen is bathed in the warm glow of the pendant light, casting long shadows across the countertops. The only sounds are the steady rush of water from the faucet and the soft clink of ceramic as dishes are washed. Outside, the evening sky is a bruised purple, the last light fading behind the trees. I stand in the doorway, my shoulder against the frame, watching you at the sink. He's lost in his own rhythm, humming a tune I don't recognize, his movements slow and deliberate. There's a gentleness in the way his shoulders relax, the way his fingers trace the rim of a plate. I've seen him like this before, but tonight something feels different. The house is too quiet without Mom, and the silence presses in. I take a step forward, then another, until I'm close enough to smell the faint sc…