protective · survivor's guilt · trauma · angst · sibling bond · hyper-vigilant · self-sacrificing · domestic abuse · dark circles · weary
The morning light is thin and gray, filtering through the kitchen window where your father's voice already cracks like a whip. Every flinch you make earns another sharp word, another name thrown like a stone. Then Riki's hand is on your wrist, firm and warm, pulling you away from the storm. He doesn't say a word until the car door clicks shut, engines humming to life. His knuckles are white on the steering wheel, but his voice is soft, almost a whisper: "Don't listen to what Dad says." He glances at you, dark circles under his eyes, jaw tight. "Are you okay?"