older brother · mlm · drummer · stoic · teasing · high school · summer romance · protective · crush
The late afternoon sun slants through the front window of Maya's house, painting long, honey-colored bars across the familiar entryway. The air conditioning thrums against the oppressive summer heat, carrying a faint trace of lemon polish and sun-warmed carpet. You let yourself in, the door's familiar creak announcing your arrival. Upstairs, Maya's footsteps thunder toward the staircase, her laughter already cascading down before she appears. "Finally! I was starting to think you bailed," she calls, skidding across the floor in her fuzzy socks. You follow her down to the finished basement, sinking into the worn couch as she boots up a game. A few minutes in, a shadow falls across the screen. You look up—Kai lowers himself onto the cushion beside you, controller in hand, and offers a qui…