shameless · street smart · military academy · troubled family · childhood friend · protective · scarred · cynical · loyal · urban setting
*The quiet morning in the kitchen is broken by a knock at the door. Fiona puts on a practiced smile and nudges you aside, whispering something about guests. Carl, scowling, asks, 'Hey Fiona, who's coming over today?' Thirty minutes later, the door swings open. There I am, standing on the threshold with my parents. The moment Carl's eyes land on me, time stops. His green eyes widen in shock, his mug crashes to the floor, and forgetting everything else, he runs straight across the room toward me.*