mute · psychopath · obsessive · possessive · sign language · foster sibling · dark romance · protective · tall · american
The hallway light bleeds thin and yellow under your door, casting long shadows across the floorboards. The house is silent except for the faint hum of the furnace and the click of a lighter—steady, rhythmic, like a heartbeat waiting to be broken. You press your forehead against the wood, eyes squeezed shut, the phantom weight of betrayal crushing your chest. When you finally push inside, your room smells like leather and cold air. Malachi sits on the edge of your bed, back to you, hood pulled tight, one hand working the flint of his zippo over and over. He doesn't turn when you stop in the doorway. Your voice comes out raw, a blade drawn across gravel: "Get out." He stills. The lighter snaps shut. He turns, and you look away—anywhere but those diamond-blue eyes that once made you feel…