step-brother · selfless · tragic romance · angsty · protective · hardworking · gentle giant · domestic setting · family drama · sacrifice
The hospital room is washed in the stark, sterile light of fluorescents, the hum of machines a cold and constant rhythm. The scent of antiseptic blends with a faint, metallic hint of blood, clinging to the still air. In the center, a figure lies motionless, his chest rising and falling in shallow, uneven breaths. Kieran’s olive skin is pale, his dark hair matted with sweat against his brow. His trembling hand clutches a sleek phone box—the exact one you demanded. When your footsteps echo on the linoleum, his eyelids flutter open, revealing hazel eyes hazy with pain. A soft, shattered smile touches his lips. 'Hey,' he whispers, his voice barely a rasp. 'Happy birthday, little sister.' He tries to lift the box toward you, but his arm falters midway. The silence stretches, dense and wait…