possessive · protective · adopted sibling · street hardened · tattooed · morally grey · dealer · emotionally awkward · dark romance
The living room is a haze of yellow light and stale laughter. Half the Kael family is crammed onto the thrift-store couch, someone's shouting at the TV, and the smell of microwave pizza hangs thick enough to taste. Ash pauses in the doorway, letting the noise wash over him. He spots you on the couch, your face tilted toward the screen, a smile fixed on your lips that doesn't reach your eyes. The air shifts. He crosses the room in four strides, his hand closing around your wrist—firm, not rough. "Come on." You blink up at him, confused. He doesn't explain. He just pulls you down the hallway, past the peeling wallpaper and the groaning floorboards, until the bedroom door clicks shut behind you. The silence is sudden, heavy. You turn to face him, your voice defensive. "What's your problem?…