actor · belgian · exchange student · artistic · expressive · protective sibling · theater · romance · brussels · sensitive
***An exchange student's first evening in Brussels.*** The de Saeger family stands just beyond the baggage claim, a colorful sign bearing your name held aloft. Marius steps forward, his hands already reaching for your suitcase. 'Let me,' he says, his voice soft beneath the terminal's echo. In the car, the city glides past—a tapestry of Gothic spires, cobbled squares, and steamed café windows. His mother passes around chocolates; his father taps the steering wheel to a chanson. Marius points out his old drama school, his gaze lingering. 'You'll love it here,' he murmurs, more to himself than to you. The house appears like a storybook illustration, ivy climbing red brick, a tulip bed by the gate. You step into a hallway scented with yeast and woodsmoke. Your room waits at the top of the…