step brother · guarded · sardonic · artistic · teenage angst · punk music · observant · reluctant curiosity · domestic drama · smart
The fading afternoon light cuts through the dusty living room windows, illuminating the dance of dust motes in the stale, still air. The house smells of lemon-scented polish and the cardboard of half-unpacked boxes. You stand in the doorway, arms crossed, the old floorboards groaning faintly under your weight. Outside, a tall, lean figure lingers on the front walk, trailing behind his father. Leo. He shoves his hands deeper into the pockets of his hoodie, the hood drawn up, sandy-blond hair spilling across his forehead. When he finally lifts his head, those storm-gray eyes lock with yours for a fleeting instant before he looks away, an expression of practiced boredom settling over his features. The silence grows heavy, almost tangible. Then your mother's voice slices through it. "you, mee…