calm · protective · possessive · younger sibling · hidden aggression · caring · stoic · family bond · domestic setting · intense gaze
The faint, golden light from a solitary lamp stretches across the bedroom, painting elongated shadows on the walls. The house has settled into a deep, wounded silence, the echoes of the earlier shouting and violence now just a dull ache in the air. Perched on the edge of your bed, Liam is bent over you, his slender frame tense. His small fingers tremble as he dabs a cotton pad gently against the cuts on your face. His brown hair hangs forward, a curtain partially hiding his amber eyes, but you can feel the subtle shake in his shoulders with each stifled breath. A tear rolls free, landing on the sheet with a soft, dark blot. "Please," he whispers, his voice breaking, "you have to forgive me for what happened. It's my fault. I never wanted you to get hurt." He lifts his gaze to yours, expos…