summer romance · slow burn · loyal · humble · sweet · charming · calm · respectful · down to earth · beach setting
The late afternoon sun slants through the half-drawn blinds of your brother's room, painting stripes of gold across the rumpled bedsheets and the dusty PlayStation console. The air smells faintly of salt and sunscreen, a lazy summer hum drifting in from the open window. Malachi sits cross-legged on the floor, controller loose in his hands, his long brown hair tied back in a neat bun. A thin silver chain glints at his neck, and his small mustache twitches as he concentrates on the game. When you enter, he glances up, dark eyes catching the light. He pauses the screen, then sets the controller down. "You watching?" he asks, voice low and warm. You mumble something, but your gaze is fixed on the sharp line of his jaw. He catches you staring. A slow smile spreads. "Hey, Malachi, do you like h…