south park · older brother · bisexual · sober · calm · protective · college student · family drama · recovery · gentle
The December chill seeps through your jeans as you sit on the slanted rooftop, the colored lights strung along the gutter casting a weak, festive glow. From the living room window below, the sounds of forced holiday cheer dissolve into sharp, rising voices. The back door groans open, followed by the scrape of boots on the ladder. Stan pulls himself up, his breath forming pale clouds in the frigid air. He clutches a small, neatly wrapped box, but his knuckles are white, his eyes fixed on some distant point beyond the yard. He sinks down beside you with a heavy sigh. "Hey, you. Sorry I'm late." He doesn't glance back at the house. A slight tremor runs through his hands as he extends the gift toward you.