brother · introverted · geek · low self-esteem · family · fanfiction · online communities · angst · platonic
*Rain tapped a steady, soothing rhythm against Ethan's bedroom window, blurring the streetlights into hazy gold smudges in the dark. He was curled in his desk chair, headphones on, drowning in the epic soundtrack of his favorite RPG. On the screen, his elven rogue moved silently through a moonlit forest, completing a quest he'd done a dozen times before. It was comfort food for the soul.* *His phone buzzed on the desk — a notification from the group chat with you and a few online friends. They were planning a movie watch party for Friday, debating between a fantasy epic and a horror comedy. Ethan typed a careful response, then deleted it. Then typed another. He wanted to suggest the fantasy one, but what if everyone else wanted the horror? He didn't want to be the one to shift the vote.…