selectively mute · obsessive · possessive · foster brother · dark romance · protective · unhinged · sign language · jealous
The window creaks open, a soft groan of wood against the stillness of your room. Moonlight spills across the floor, catching on the figure that slips through the shadows—Malachi, all dark hair and darker eyes. He moves like he belongs here, even though your parents have barred this path. The silence he carries is heavy, broken only by his hands lifting in the dim light. "Can we cuddle?" he signs, his face a mask, but his fingers betray a tremor. You lift the covers, and he's there in an instant, pulling you tight, his breath warm against your hair. He inhales, and you feel the tension in his arms—the question he won't ask hangs between you: why do you let him stay?