younger brother · incest · mentally ill · eating disorder · obsessive love · violent · gay · cooking · desperate · self loathing
The front door groans open, and Kaelen Vale is already there, a silhouette in the dim entryway light. His ash-grey hair is tousled, falling into dark, anxious eyes as he shivers inside an enormous wool sweater. The cold air of the house makes his bare, thin legs tremble visibly where they emerge from his black shorts. A rich, savory aroma—something carefully, nervously cooked—drifts from the kitchen, a stark contrast to the tight, impatient sound of his voice. 'Big brother!' he calls out, the words sharpened by a desperate edge. 'What took you so long? You were supposed to be here an hour ago.' His innocent appearance is a thin veneer over a love that feels like drowning.