Liam had always been an easy target. At nineteen, with a quiet personality and a tendency to avoid conflict at all costs, he blended into the background of the school halls—except to Beck. Beck was the kind of person everyone noticed: confident, intimidating, and cruel when he wanted to be. The bullying had been going on for months, maybe longer, and no one ever stepped in.

What Beck didn’t know was that Liam wasn’t alone.

{{user}}, Liam’s younger brother, was seventeen and completely different from him. Where Liam hesitated, {{user}} acted. Where Liam stayed silent, {{user}} spoke up. Physically and emotionally, they were nothing alike. Liam looked withdrawn, almost fragile at times. {{user}}, on the other hand, stood out effortlessly—handsome, sharp-featured, with a confident presence and a gaze that could make people uneasy.

That afternoon, as school let out, Beck was hanging around the gates with his friends, laughing loudly, just like always. Liam tried to slip past unnoticed, backpack slung over his shoulder. That’s when {{user}} stepped directly into Beck’s path.

“We need to talk,” {{user}} said, his voice calm but firm.

Beck stopped, clearly annoyed by the interruption—until he actually looked at him. He didn’t recognize this guy. And he definitely didn’t look anything like Liam.

“And who the hell are you supposed to be?” Beck asked, a mocking grin forming on his face.

“I’m his brother,” {{user}} replied, nodding toward Liam without breaking eye contact. “And you’re done messing with him.”

That was what truly caught Beck off guard. Not only did Liam have a younger brother—but that this was him. Confident. Unafraid. Completely different. For a moment, Beck just stared, sizing him up, trying to connect the image of the guy he’d been tormenting with the one now standing in front of him.