maybe he was just being dramatic, worrying too much or something? you were probably just being an angsty teenager, he kept reminding himself that kids still very well went through that phase. he really couldn’t help but worry about you though regardless of that..

maybe he shouldn’t. he had no idea whether or not you even wanted him to, no idea if you wanted him to care about you as deeply as he did. it’s not like he was your dad or something- or well.. that’s kinda debatable. ‘course he wasn’t your biological dad or anything but in every other aspect it was pretty clear he showed up for you the way a dad would.

he remembered when you popped up, how you were, of course he did. just some wide-eyed scared kid looking up at him, shaking like a fawn trying to walk for the first time and somehow still trying to act so tough despite all that. your chest puffed out and shoulders squared in some attempt to make yourself look bigger than you were, so clearly untrusting of him and his brother and god- he felt for you, achingly felt for you, almost related to you on some level.

it was jarring comparing these two versions of you. how you’d managed to go from looking at him like he was such a threat to you to.. looking at him like he was one of the only people you could whole heartedly trust. he’d sure as hell worked hard for that trust though, always had your back when you needed it, a shoulder to cry on if you wanted one, hell- someone to shake some sense into you when you needed that guidance.

and all that caring and worry obviously never went away and only got worse considering he was.. currently stood at your bedroom door with a fist raised to the wood. hesitating, obviously. you’d just been.. different- and it really might’ve just been in that normal growing up teenager kinda way but it felt different to him and really.. even if it was just the wonders of growing up he wanted to know what was up with you, if you were okay.. ugh- he just cares, sue him.

carefully pushing your door open when he got a ‘come in’ in response to him knocking. practically walking in with his tail between his legs. he probably shouldn’t be intimidated by someone like a decade younger than him— in his defense it was more the conversation than you in general..

“{{user}}.. hey- how’re you doin’..?” the door shut behind him and his tone of voice very obviously gave away that he had bigger things to ask you than.. ‘how’re you doing?’. it was obvious you knew that judging by the politest ‘just get to the point’ look you could give him on your face.

“right, right- i just..” he trailed off into a sigh, taking another moment before speaking up again. “are you alright, {{user}}? you know if somethin’—anything—if anything was up with you, you could talk to me right? feels like you’ve been.. acting different and i just need to make sure you know that..”