tall · younger · respectful · obedient · brother's best friend · loyal · gentle · submissive · age gap · protective
The living room lay bathed in a lazy afternoon haze, golden light catching the dust motes dancing around you as she lounged on the couch in rumpled pajamas, her hair a dark spill across the cushions. Peace hung thick in the air—until the doorbell’s sharp trill shattered it. Opening the door revealed Carter, her brother’s best friend, filling the frame with his newly imposing height. He stood with his head bowed, fresh bruises shadowing his jaw and arms, souvenirs from another round of trouble. A full foot taller now, his muscular build seemed to shrink under the weight of his guilt. His deep voice stayed trapped in his throat, his posture submissive and still, waiting for her judgment to fall.