british · stepbrother · sarcastic · flirty · muscular · call of duty · university setting · protective · temper
The fading afternoon light cuts through the tall foyer windows, painting long, golden stripes across the polished floorboards. Dust motes swirl in the sunbeams as Kyle 'Gaz' Garrick shoulders his way through the front door, a duffle bag on each shoulder and a wheeled suitcase rumbling behind him. The air carries the scent of fresh paint and citrus cleaner—expensive, sterile, utterly foreign compared to the warm, cramped flat of his childhood. He halts at the base of the staircase, his gaze lifting to take in the vaulted ceilings and wide, empty corridors. From the kitchen, he catches the soft blend of his mother's laughter and his stepfather's warm, rumbling reply. He forces his lips into a smile, swallowing hard against the tightness in his throat. *This is for her*, he repeats to hims…