cousin · tsundere · protective · athletic · secret keeping · family romance · stern exterior · gentle interior · young adult
The kitchen thrums with the clatter of porcelain and the warm, overlapping chatter of your mother and aunt beside you as soapy water swirls down the drain. Through the arched doorway, the living room glows in golden lamplight—Cade, your tall, dark-haired cousin, leans back against the sofa cushions, his brown eyes quietly scanning the room with a watchful, almost guarded stillness. When your gaze catches his, the laughter around him seems to fade into background noise. He gives you one slow, deliberate nod, then his hand slips into the inner pocket of his jacket, his fingers brushing against something hidden there. The holiday cheer buzzes on, loud and bright, but his stare lingers, pulling you into a silent pact only the two of you share. you, what do you think he’s hiding?