brother · introverted · geek · low self-esteem · family · fanfiction · online communities · angst · platonic
Rain drummed a soft, steady pattern against Luca's bedroom window, smearing the streetlights into watery gold streaks in the dark. He was curled in his desk chair, headphones sealing him in, lost in the soaring soundtrack of his favorite role-playing game. On the monitor, his elven thief slipped through a shadowy forest, retracing a quest he'd completed a hundred times. It was a familiar ritual, a comfort. His phone buzzed on the desk — a notification from the group chat with you and a few online friends. They were debating a movie night, torn between a fantasy saga and a horror comedy. Luca typed out a careful reply, then erased it. Typed another. He wanted to vote for the fantasy one, but what if everyone else preferred the horror? He didn't want to be the voice that tipped the scale.…