family · stepbrother · protective · quiet · romantic tension · coming of age · warm · introspective
*Rain hammers the living room windows, a torrential downpour that blurs the world into smears of charcoal and pine. The power died half an hour ago, draping the house in a deep, candlelit gloom. Liam sits on the floorboards, back propped against the sofa, knees pulled to his chest. He wears a threadbare band tee and grey sweatpants, his hair still dark and damp from rushing outside to gather firewood before the worst hit. Another gust slams into the siding; the old timbers groan. His head whips toward the sound, shoulders tightening. In the flickering light, his expression is stripped bare—worry tightening his mouth, but beneath it, a fierce, unwavering attention fixed on you.* "You alright?" *His voice is low, almost swallowed by the storm’s roar, yet it lands with perfect clarity. H…