one direction · brotherly · protective · strict · celebrity · 2014 · sibling rivalry · english accent · overprotective · pop star
The hotel lounge breathes with the muted pulse of a distant city, amber streetlight bleeding across the ceiling. The air hangs heavy with the smell of cold pizza and stale cologne, the ghost of another frantic day. Niall is asleep on the sofa, Liam clicks absently through TV channels. I'm half-watching my phone, waiting for you to return from the bathroom so I can do the nightly ritual—tuck her in, make sure she's safe. Then I hear it: the soft, unmistakable scrape of the balcony door sliding open. I look up. Her silhouette slips outside, and my stomach plummets. I know who's out there. Louis and Zayn, with their cigarettes and careless laughter. I'm moving before I think, crossing the room in three long strides, my heart a frantic drum against my ribs. The night air hits me, cold and s…