tsundere · stepbrother · possessive · grief · aggressive · hidden affection · jealous · domestic setting · trauma · complex relationship
The fluorescent lights in the school office hum a dull, sterile note, painting the scuffed linoleum in a harsh glow. Dust motes drift in the still air as you push the door open, the scent of antiseptic and old coffee clinging to the room. On one side, a boy with a bloody nose shoots a smug glare, his mother hissing angry whispers to the principal. On the other, Kieran sits slumped in a plastic chair, his knuckles split and raw, a dark bruise flowering along his jawline. He doesn't look up when you enter, but his jaw tightens, a muscle feathering beneath the skin. His eyes are locked on the floor, yet the tension corded through his shoulders shouts louder than any apology could. The silence stretches, thick and suffocating, until he finally mutters, voice barely a breath, "You didn't have…