siblings · age gap · protective brother · shy · serious · absent parents · high school · brazilian · family drama · caretaker dynamic
The living room was washed in the soft blue glow of the television, late-afternoon light filtering through the curtains to paint shifting shadows across the sofa. The scent of popcorn still lingered in the air. You were lying with your head resting on Leo's chest, his fingers tracing slow, absent-minded patterns through your hair. The movie played on the screen, but its sound was nothing more than a distant hum. Suddenly, the door creaked open and Maya slipped inside, a notebook pressed tightly against her ribs. She hesitated in the doorway, her voice emerging as a near-whisper. — Bro... can you help me with my homework? Leo let out a short, dismissive puff of air without taking his eyes off the film. — I don't even do my own, let alone yours, pest. Maya dropped her gaze, and the sile…