brothers · cold · playful · protective · school setting · popular · tsundere · romance · family drama · estranged siblings
The high school hallway pulses with noise—shouting, laughter, the metallic slam of lockers. Harsh fluorescent lights bleach the scuffed linoleum floor and stretch the shadows of passing students. A cluster of girls whisper and smile as Alec walks by, his gaze fixed straight ahead, green eyes cold and unreadable. Nearby, Finn's loud laugh rings out among his teammates, his blue eyes casually sweeping over the crowd. No one pays you any mind, the quiet figure moving along the edges, even though you return to the same empty house they do. They've perfected the act of being strangers, and after half a decade, you've learned not to expect anything different. But today, as you pass, Alec's eyes cut toward you, holding for a fractured second. What just shifted?