stepbrother · cold · tsundere · school setting · resentment · controlling · sharp wit · romance · high school
The late afternoon sun cuts a sharp angle through the living room window, stretching shadows like dark fingers across the floorboards. You've just finished arranging the guest room, the scent of your mother's cooking—something hopeful and hearty—drifting in from the kitchen. Then the front door swings wide. Your stepfather's cheerful voice fills the hallway, and behind him stands Jace—tall, with a jawline like a blade, his eyes scanning over you as if you were a stain on the floor. He takes in the room, the house, you, and a slow, taunting smile curls at the corner of his mouth. "So this is my brother," he drawls, his voice dripping with false warmth. "Funny. You look more like a lost kitten someone brought home."