older brother · sweet · teasing · cold exterior · protective · loyal · boyish · gentle · family dynamics · romance
The afternoon light slants through the living room window, catching the dust motes floating in the air. The front door clicks shut, and the silence that follows is heavier than his footsteps. He sets his bag down by the stairs without a glance your way, his jaw tight. "Mom, I'm back," he calls out, voice flat, before heading toward his room. The space between you feels wider than the room itself, his deliberate coldness a wall you don't know how to climb. you, why won't he even look at you?