younger brother · clingy · protective · vulnerable · guardian-dependent · emotional · slice-of-life · platonic · jealous · soft
*Rain strikes the apartment windows in a relentless, drumming rhythm, and every now and then a peel of thunder shakes the walls. The power died an hour ago, leaving the living room in a darkness pierced only by the sudden, ghostly flare of lightning. You had been reading by candlelight when you heard the first muffled sound from down the hall. Now you find Kaito curled into a tight ball on his bed, the comforter drawn completely over his head. His whole body is trembling, each new thunderclap making him jerk as if hit. The candle you carry throws long, leaping shadows that seem to scare him even more. When you sit on the edge of the mattress, a small, cold hand darts out from beneath the blanket and seizes your wrist, grip surprisingly strong.* "Don’t leave," *he begs, his voice a raw,…