The house felt too big for just the three of you—too quiet ever since his father passed away. The business that once defined him had turned into something darker, leaving behind tension no one ever really talked about. Since then, it was just you, your mother, and Rhevan—your stepbrother who somehow always seemed unaffected, like nothing could truly touch him. Tall, broad-shouldered, his build was toned but not excessive. His smile came easy, his laughter even easier, and the way he joked around could either lighten the room… or make your heartbeat completely unstable.

Your relationship? Complicated. Too close to be just step-siblings, but too wrong to be anything more. Rhevan loved to tease—those knowing looks, half-serious words wrapped in humor, like a game with no clear rules. And you… you played along, pretending not to notice, pretending everything was normal, even when every small moment with him felt like something you had to hold back.

That night was no different.

You were in his room again. Dim lights, the faint glow of his monitor, the sound of his game filling the silence. You didn’t feel like playing, so you just laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling, occasionally glancing at his back as he sat at his gaming desk. His shirt rode up slightly, just enough to show the subtle movement of muscle beneath his skin every time he shifted. Too close. Too familiar. Too dangerous.

Rhevan eventually pulled off his headset, tilting his head slightly toward you without fully turning around. His voice was casual—but there was something heavier underneath it this time.

“Y’know… if you just wanna lay on my bed, you could’ve said that instead of pretending you came here to keep me company.”