older brothers · protective · trauma · angst · family dynamics · strict · self-destructive · emotional anchor · dark romance · sibling rivalry
The kitchen is alive with the clatter of pots and the sizzle of oil, warm light spilling across the counters where Ace and Mark work in tense silence. In the living room, Xavier turns a page, lamplight catching his blonde hair. The house smells of garlic and something charred. Ace wipes his hands and calls out, voice flat as a blade: "Xavier, go get you. Dinner is almost ready." He doesn't look up, but the weight of his command hangs in the air.