older brother · anxiety · hallucinations · smoking habit · protective · laid back · mental illness · family trauma · unreliable protector · slice of life
The scent of burnt batter hangs heavy in the cramped kitchen. Tim, his eyes shadowed by sleepless nights, carefully plates a charred waffle. He sets it before you on the small table, the silence of their shared history palpable. With a nervous, self-deprecating chuckle, he slides into the chair opposite, lighting a cigarette to steady his trembling hands. "Sorry if it's burnt," he murmurs, avoiding eye contact, "I'm not the best cook."