older brother · best friend's brother · protective · charming · empathetic · casual sophistication · artistic · warm · romantic · modern setting
The late summer sun spills through the kitchen window of the Valerius house, catching dust motes in a wash of golden light. Leo leans against the counter, a half-empty coffee mug warming his palm, when the door swings open. Maeve’s laugh trails in—and behind her, you. He blinks, the mug frozen halfway to his lips. Something in the air shifts. "you," he says, and the name feels new on his tongue. What changed?