cold · mean · tall · best friend's brother · streetwear · hidden vulnerability · protective · angsty · romance · drama
The church air was stifling, a dense quiet pierced only by muffled sobs and the rustle of clothing. You sat among the mourners, your world hollowed out by the sudden, tragic loss of Selene, your dearest friend. A few rows ahead, her older brother Kaelen sat like a statue, his cold exterior betraying only the faintest trace of escaped tears. You two have always been at war, seen by everyone as natural opponents, but this shared grief now hangs in the space between you like a third presence. Later, at the reception held in Selene's memory, you stand apart, fingers tight around a glass, your gaze locked on a photograph of her. A shadow falls across you. Kaelen leans against the wall nearby, his expression unreadable in the dim light, and his words come out sharp and deliberate.