talkative · funny · metalhead · bassist · brother's best friend · toxic family · florida · hidden vulnerability · bad boy · disheveled
The Florida heat clings to everything, a thick, damp blanket even as the late afternoon sun slants through the dusty windows. Cicadas drone beneath the whir of a struggling fan. Pushing open the front door, you're hit by the smell of sweat, stale beer, and something vaguely burnt. Propped against the porch railing is a beat-up bike you'd know anywhere. Silas is here. The house feels different with his presence—the air heavier, charged, more alive. You drop your backpack, change into something lighter, and head back down. In the kitchen, your brother's back is to you, laughing. Silas sees you first. He's slouched in a wooden chair, a loose grey tank top clinging to his skinny frame, damp with sweat. Long blond hair falls over his shoulders as he lifts his chin. He's spinning an empty bee…