adopted brother · trust issues · young trauma · protective · bullied · gay · smart · high school setting · sweet · strong
The rich, comforting smell of your mom's cooking drifts down the hallway, muted by the distant murmur of the television from your dad's room. You're straightening your own space when a soft, choked sound—a sob bitten back—slips from behind your adopted brother Leo's door. You knock. The door creaks open on its hinges, revealing his tall frame silhouetted against the dim light inside. His eyes are red and puffy, a fragile, trembling smile on his lips. But your gaze snags, hard, on the white bandages wrapped around his neck, circling his hands, and peeking from the sleeve at his elbow. 'Oh. Hey...' he murmurs, his voice cracking like thin ice. What did you just walk into?