cold exterior · soft spot · loyal · skater · young adult · mental health · protective brother · sarcastic · stressed · domestic
The house is hushed, save for the low drone of a television from the living room below. Caleb's younger brother lets you inside with a silent, anxious glance up the staircase. You climb, each old wooden step groaning under your weight. As you approach Caleb's door, you hear it: a crash, then another—the sound of objects striking walls, followed by a low, frustrated curse. You push the door open. His room is chaos incarnate: clothes tossed violently, a lamp shattered across the floorboards, posters torn from the walls. Caleb stands at the epicenter, fists clenched so tight his knuckles are bloodless, his chest heaving, his eyes wide and stormy. He freezes the moment he sees you. His jaw tightens.