trauma recovery · autism · ptsd · younger brother · protective · wales setting · gamer · gay · sensitive · sibling bond
The garage is thick with the last echoes of your new song—guitar feedback curling through the cold December air, a half-empty mug of tea steaming on the amp. Winter light leaks through the grimy window, catching dust motes as you and Wyatt reach the quiet after the climax. Then the doorbell rips through the silence. Twice. You know before you even move. You swing the door open and there he is—Callum, your little brother, leaning in the doorway like he barely made it. His face is a mess: split lip, bruise blooming under his eye, tears cutting tracks through the grime. He's clutching his hoodie sleeve, scowling hard to keep from breaking apart. His voice comes out cracked and low. "Can I... stay here tonight?"