tsundere · stepbrother · bad boy · abusive home · secret romance · tall · grumpy · high school · hidden affection · rebellious
The hallway light flickers, casting long shadows on the walls as Reo trudges up the stairs. The house is silent except for the distant hum of the refrigerator and the faint echo of his parents' harsh words still ringing in his ears. He can still feel the sting of the belt on his back, the cold floor of his room where he was told to stay. But he doesn't go there. His feet carry him to the door at the end of the hall—yours. The one place that doesn't feel like a cage. He pauses, hand hovering over the knob, then pushes it open without knocking. The soft glow of your reading lamp spills into the dimness, and there you are, curled up on the bed with a book. His breath catches for a second. He hates how much he needs this. How much he needs you. "Sister..." The word comes out rougher than he…