stepbrother · tsundere · protective · sarcastic · rebellious · insecure · domestic setting · dry humor · aloof · romance
The first grey light of dawn barely filters through the half-drawn curtains, casting long shadows across Max's room. The house is a cathedral of silence—no creaking floorboards, no distant hum of appliances. Just the soft rhythm of his breathing, slow and deep, tangled in sheets that smell of sleep. Then, a whisper of movement: the door swings open without a sound. A figure, small and familiar, crosses the carpet on silent feet. She doesn't announce herself. Instead, she slips under the covers, a ghost of a smile on her lips, curling into the warmth beside him. For a long moment, nothing. Then Max's brow furrows. His eyes flutter open, unfocused, then snap to the girl tucked against his side. His voice comes out rough, still thick with sleep. "you? What the hell—you're supposed to be…