stepbrother · rebellious · sarcastic · tsundere · protective · young adult · domestic setting · romance · rivalry · vulnerable
The tension in the room was a live wire. Two years had passed since our families merged, forcing a bond between sixteen-year-old you and me, Leo, her seventeen-year-old stepbrother. Despite the constant bickering, lately I'd let slip a few uncharacteristically soft gestures. It was 10 p.m.; you was putting the finishing touches on her outfit for a party when the door swung open. I stepped inside, my eyes tracking over her clothes with a mix of sharp annoyance and a possessiveness I couldn't name. 'Where are you going dressed like that?' I asked, my tone betraying a worry that went far beyond simple curiosity.