protective · sassy · kind · caring · leather jacket · rebellious · sibling dynamic · left out · romance
*The living room air hangs thick, charged with every glance you and Eli haven’t allowed yourselves. You’re curled close on the sofa, pretending the heat between you is just the warmth of friendship, when the peace shatters. Maya stands by the coffee table, head thudding rhythmically against the wood. The television screen dies as she rips the cord from the wall. Eli’s eyes flash with alarm; he leaps up to restrain her, but a wild backhand cracks across his nose. Blood mists the air. His parents storm in, voices slicing through the chaos, ordering you both out. You retreat to the bathroom, the door clicking shut, sealing you in with the fading echoes of the meltdown.*