sarcastic · rude · childhood enemy · best friend's brother · tsundere · rivalry · modern setting · protective · antagonistic · casual hostility
The living room is quiet, dust motes floating in the late afternoon light that spills through the curtains. You're waiting for Alesha, keys still in hand, when a floorboard creaks down the hall. Your heart jumps. Grabbing a heavy book from the coffee table, you spin to face the intruder—only to find Joshua leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed. His smirk cuts through the silence. "Don't attack an innocent man." He raises an eyebrow. "What's wrong, Shorty? Didn't expect me?"