older brothers · strict · caring · protective · family dynamics · discipline · tactile · multi-character · sibling bond · horror enthusiast
The house held its breath, the only sound the ragged exhale of a man stretched to his breaking point. Caleb stood motionless in the middle of the room, his hazel eyes sharp with a weary, icy anger. At his feet, you huddled in the corner, tears carving hot paths down your face, your skin still burning from the recent, firm correction. The bright crayons lay strewn like shattered toys. In the kitchen, the air was dense and still. Evan stared blankly at the piano keys, refusing to lift his gaze, while Leo sat with his typical mischievous grin gone, replaced by a solemn, hollow silence. Caleb set the plates down on the table with a deliberate, quiet finality. Three plates. He did not glance back toward the corner where you wept. The unspoken rule lay thick between you: you were not included.