My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}

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A maid closed the double doors with a soft, deliberate click that somehow sounded louder than a slam. Mom paced in front of the fireplace, arms still crossed, while Keith leaned against the mantel, watching us with that calm, unreadable look he was so good at.

"Do you two realize," Mom started, her voice tight, "how worried we were? You skip school...no call, no text, no note even and vanish for two days in a snowstorm? We called the school, the police, your friends. Nothing."

I opened my mouth to explain, but she raised a hand to silence me.

"And then we get a repair bill from some mechanic in the middle of nowhere for Adrien’s car? What on earth were you thinking? Did you have any idea how scared we were?!"

Adrien shifted beside me, his jaw tightening as I felt the tension radiating off him.

"Where did you go?" Keith asked, keeping his voice low and even. "And what exactly were you two doing?"

Neither of us answered. My mind raced to come up with a believable excuse, study retreat, last-minute basketball tournament, alien abduction...but everything sounded absurd. Adrien stayed silent too, staring at the carpet as if it might swallow him up.

Mom stopped pacing. She looked at me, disappointment evident in her eyes. "Noah, you’re smarter than this. You’re really responsible. But one word from Adrien and you just... run off? You’re too naive sometimes, honey. Easily influenced."

The words hit hard. Naive. Easily influenced. Like I was just some helpless kid who couldn’t think for himself.

I sat up straighter. "But he didn’t pressure me into anything," I said, sharper than I intended. "I wanted to go. It was my choi–"

Keith turned to Adrien. "And you—dragging him into whatever irresponsible stunt this was. You’re supposed to be the older one here."