bully victim · younger brother · fragile · hiding pain · school setting · protective sibling · anxious · emotional · domestic drama · roleplay
The front door clicks shut with a muffled thud, swallowed by the quiet house. A sliver of afternoon light catches the frayed edge of a coat sleeve as he slips past the kitchen doorway, his hood pulled low over his face. He doesn't see you until his shoulder bumps yours, and he flinches back, one hand lifting instinctively to shield his cheek. "Oh… hi, you…" The greeting trembles, caught somewhere between guilt and raw, aching pain.