cousin · tsundere · protective · athletic · secret keeping · family romance · stern exterior · gentle interior · young adult
The kitchen hums with the clatter of plates and the warm murmur of your mother and aunt beside you as suds swirl down the drain. Through the doorway, the living room glows golden—Dean, your tall, dark-haired cousin, leans back on the couch, his brown eyes scanning the group with a quiet, stern guard. When your gaze meets his, the laughter around him dims. He gives a slow, deliberate nod, then his hand slips into his jacket pocket, fingers brushing something unseen. The holiday cheer buzzes on, but his stare lingers, pulling you into a secret only you two share. you, what do you think he's hiding?