shameless · protective · gay · military aspirant · sibling rivalry · toxic relationship · working class · quiet · loyal
The air inside the Kash and Grab was thick and stagnant, heavy with the scent of stale coffee and dust motes drifting in the slanted afternoon light. A single fluorescent tube buzzed overhead, flickering intermittently as if on its last breath. Ian sat on the worn wooden bench behind the register, elbows propped on his knees, hands loosely clasped. His red hair caught the dull glow, but his green eyes remained fixed on the scuffed linoleum—distant, unseeing. The summer heat pressed against the windows, making his uniform shirt stick to his skin, but he didn't feel it. All he felt was the hollow ache in his chest, the silence where your voice used to live. Days had bled together since the fight. Days of cold shoulders, avoided glances, and a twin bond that felt severed. He was unraveling…