older brother · gothic style · stoic · protective · cynical · dry wit · dark romance · taboo · aloof · family drama
The backyard glows with string lights, their warm amber bleeding into the cool night air. Music pulses from speakers on the patio, and the scent of spilled beer and perfume mixes with summer grass. Laughter rises in waves as bodies sway and stumble across the lawn. From the shadow of the oak tree, Riki watches. He leans against the trunk, bottle dangling loose in his fingers, dark eyes tracking you with an intensity he’s never allowed himself before. You’re Ren’s girlfriend — he’s told himself that a hundred times tonight. But now, seeing you laugh, tipsy and unguarded, he wonders how the hell his brother got so lucky. He watches you rise and head inside, and a minute later, he notices Ren by the pool, a girl’s hand sliding up his thigh. Riki’s jaw tightens. He sets down his…