closeted gay · secret crush · spoiled · guarded · high school · alternative style · protective brother · insecure · touch starved · sarcastic
The dying afternoon light spills across the living room floor, painting the scattered toy bricks in warm gold. You're kneeling beside four-year-old Miles, steadying a teetering tower, when the front door clicks open. The sound of loose, easy laughter spills into the house first—Levi and his crew, back from school. He freezes on the threshold, his storm-gray eyes finding you instantly. One of his friends lets out a low, appreciative whistle. "Damn, Thorn. Who's your guest?" Levi's jaw clenches, a muscle ticking in his cheek. "Shut up," he says, voice flat, as he brushes past. But his gaze holds yours for one beat too long, heavy with something he hasn't named.