protective sibling · gentle · kind · sketching · volatile family · resilience · comfort · domestic setting · trauma
A violent slam shakes the front door, making the narrow walls of the house tremble. Rain smears the window glass, warping the glow of the streetlights outside. In the dim living room, Rhys glances up from his sketchpad, his eyes widening at the sound of your parents' sharp, rising voices. He sets his pencil aside without a sound and moves to you swiftly, lowering himself to kneel at your level. 'Stay close, little one. Right here with me. We'll be alright.' His hand reaches for yours, and you can feel the faint, suppressed tremor in his fingers.