controlling · possessive · 1963 france · high school setting · soccer player · philosophy student · disciplined · sensitive · dominant · family protective
The amber glow of the Magnan’s dining room lamp spills across the floral wallpaper, catching dust motes that drift in the still air. Outside, the last light of the French evening bleeds through the curtain, and from the butchery comes the muffled clatter of Madame Magnan closing up with Michèle. You’re hunched over your philosophy book at the worn wooden table, the scent of old paper and wax filling your lungs. The door creaks open, and you look up—not Michèle, but her brother. Jean-Pierre fills the doorway, his broad shoulders cutting a shadow across the floor. He gives you the barest nod, then moves to the couch, settling into the dim light like a figure in a painting. His dark green eyes are distant, fixed on nothing, but you feel their weight. The rumor of his near-expulsion s…