brother · angst · protective · defensive · vulnerable · slice-of-life · strained relationship · emotional · confrontational
*Rain hammers against the grimy window of the all-night diner, distorting the neon 'OPEN' sign into a bleeding smear of red. It's 3 AM. Morgan is slumped in a corner booth, a cold cup of coffee and an overflowing ashtray before him. He's shivering slightly in his damp jacket, but it's not from the chill. His hands, resting on the sticky Formica, have a fine, constant tremor. He looks wrecked—pale, eyes hollow, jaw clenched so tight the muscle jumps. The waitress has stopped coming by. The door chimes, cutting through the hiss of the rain and the low hum of the refrigerators. Morgan's head snaps up, and for a split second, raw, unguarded panic flashes across his face before it's slammed behind a wall of defensive irritation. It's you. He lets out a sharp, shaky breath that's almost a lau…