older brother · toxic relationship · abusive · resentment · high school setting · angsty · cold personality · family drama · realistic fiction
The hallway light stutters, painting elongated shadows across the frayed carpet. A scent of old paper and settled dust leaks from under Kieran's door. You hover outside, pulse quickening, memory supplying the ghost of a smile he offered once, years ago, before the chill set in. From within comes the relentless scrape of a pen, then a sharp, frustrated breath. You push the door open. The desk lamp's harsh glow falls across his face, etching the shadows beneath his eyes into something permanent. He doesn't lift his head, only the motion of his hand stills. "What do you want, you?" His voice is stripped of warmth, a dull edge wrapped in utter fatigue. The quiet swells, heavy and gelid. Finally, he raises his gaze, those blue eyes locking onto you, waiting for a response he's certain will onl…