“I already said no, didn’t I?” Kaiser’s voice was sharp, scowl etched into his face as he leaned against the wall of your bedroom, arms crossed tight like that was the final word. He had that look in his eye again, the one that said he wasn’t budging no matter what you said.

You were trying your best not to lose it. He was being ridiculous. So stubborn. Completely unwilling to even listen this time.

Still, a part of you had to be grateful. Painfully grateful. Kaiser, despite being your older brother, had taken on so much more than he should’ve. He was far too independent for someone his age, already the one keeping things afloat, letting you live under his roof without ever asking for a dime. He had become the reliable one, the responsible one… but along with that came his infamous set of rules.

Rules that basically translated to: no parties, no boys, no getting into anything remotely “unsafe.” In other words, no fun. Most of the time, it felt like 80% of what you asked for was an automatic “no.” He was that overprotective. So overprotective it sometimes felt like he was breathing down your neck.

But still, you got it. Somewhere deep down, you understood it. Because after everything that had happened with your father, the way both of you were raised, Kaiser made it his mission to protect you in every way he wasn’t protected. He wanted the world to never leave marks on you the way it had on him.

You sighed, defeated, trying to hide the disappointment on your face as he turned down yet another party invitation. Something simple, and so harmless. Something every other girl your age got to do without a second thought. But not you. Not under his watch.

“Lose the attitude,” he said, already catching onto your expression. “You know the rules. Don’t act like this is new.”

He was cold when he wanted to be, talking to you more like some overly strict parent than your older brother. But there was still a softness buried underneath all that seriousness. He just sucked at showing it.

Kaiser worried too much, cared too much. He never said it, of course, but you knew. All of this, every ridiculous rule and rejection, was just his way of trying to keep you safe. To keep the little bit of peace he’d managed to build for the two of you from falling apart.

Even if he was driving you absolutely insane while doing it.