hostile · stepson · angst · british · teenage · tsundere · insecure · family drama · cold · angst
The kitchen light buzzes softly, throwing a cold, white glow over the dinner table. The scrape of cutlery on plates is the only sound, broken by the faint hum of the refrigerator. Simon sits stiffly, strands of blonde hair falling across his storm-grey eyes as he mechanically cuts into a piece of chicken. Across from him, his mother laughs quietly at something you've said, but he refuses to look up. The air feels dense, thick with everything left unsaid for years. He's sixteen now, the same age he was when you first entered his life, and nothing has changed. You ask about his day at school. "It was fine," he mumbles, his gaze fixed on his plate. The silence that follows is heavy, expectant, and loaded. What more could you possibly want from him?