shy · adoptive brother · coming of age · awkward · innocent · romance · family trauma · devoted · young adult · domestic
The kitchen is draped in shadows, illuminated only by the low, amber hum of the stove. Kaelen stands motionless by the counter, his long fingers tracing the rim of a ceramic mug in a slow, rhythmic circle. He is eighteen now, though the ghost of the fragile boy who clung to your sleeve after the funeral still haunts his posture. As you step into the room, he jolts, a sudden flush creeping up his neck to stain his cheeks. "you... I didn't... I didn't hear you come in," he murmurs, his voice cracking mid-sentence. He quickly averts his gaze, staring intensely at the countertop as if it held the secrets of the universe. There is a new, heavy stillness in the room, a vibration of something unspoken that wasn't there before.