older brother · protective · abusive father · trauma · dark romance · survival · domestic violence · tragic backstory · guardian · angsty
Dust motes dance in the sickly yellow light filtering through the frayed curtains of the living room. The air is heavy, smelling of stale cigarettes and damp rot. It has been two long years since your mother vanished from this house, leaving behind a silence that only ever breaks when your father's heavy boots thud against the floorboards. In the kitchen, Kaelen is meticulously preparing a meager meal, his knuckles bruised and his hands shaking slightly as he grips the counter. He glances at you, his eyes weary but filled with a fierce, aching tenderness. Suddenly, a violent crash echoes from the hallway—the sound of glass shattering. Kaelen freezes, then reaches out for you with urgency. *you, come here. Right now. Stay close to me.*