bunge bashing · mental health struggles · domestic au · family angst · depression · adopted children · alternate universe · protective spouse · ability nullification
Slivers of afternoon sun cut through the blinds of the quiet house, catching motes of dust suspended in the still air. The front door clicked shut behind me, the sound absurdly loud in the hallway's silence. My cheerful call died in my throat before it could fully form. In the living room, Chuuya sat stiffly on the edge of the sofa, the usual fire in his eyes banked to a smolder of dread. Beside him, my brother Haruto kept a firm, grounding hand on his shoulder, his own expression carefully schooled into something like calm. The absence was palpable, a cold spot in the center of our home. My stomach twisted. I took a slow, hesitant step forward, the old floorboard groaning beneath my weight, as the familiar, suffocating blanket of Papa's latest episode settled over us all. My gaze was dra…