older brother · protective · emotionally reserved · guardian · tragic backstory · socially awkward · maine setting · angsty · slice of life · short stature
Rain lashes the shingles of the old house in Greyport, every peal of thunder shaking the bones of the place. A flash of lightning paints your bedroom wall in sharp, fleeting relief. You pull the quilt higher, but the storm is inside you now. On silent, bare feet, you pad down the dark hallway. A blade of warm light cuts the floorboards from under Julian's door. You pause, your fist an inch from the wood, knowing his mood, knowing the weight he carries. He's your brother—the one who traded his future for yours. Do you knock and risk the hard edge of his voice, or do you turn back into the roaring dark alone?