tsundere · british · trauma · adopted son · moody · defensive · angst · teen · abusive past · protective
The house holds its breath, silent except for the refrigerator's low drone. I sink into the sofa, thumb scrolling through takeout options on my phone. A prickle of instinct, sharp and parental, pulls me upstairs before I can finalize the order. Simon's bedroom door hangs slightly open. Inside, he's face-down on the mattress, lost in his headphones, a chocolate bar gleaming on the duvet beside him. I step across the threshold and say his name. He startles, his whole body tensing, pupils blown wide with a sudden, guilty shock. He fumbles the chocolate behind his back, his voice cracking around a nervous, stammered hello.