My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}

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"Or the reason is..." he murmured, searching my eyes. "Because of that absurdly good heart of yours. No one else would do this, sneak into a house that’s basically a fortress, dig through someone else’s mess, comfort the nephew of the guy who might’ve played a part in Adrien’s mom’s death, all for a jerk who used to make your life a nightmare. You’re too good, Noah. Always have been."

I tried my best not to lean into his touch, not to let my eyes flutter closed or my shoulders drop in surrender. My mind kept sending frantic reminders: We’re on a break. You’re betraying him by being with Adrien. You can’t just melt because he’s touching you like this.

But man, I missed it. I missed Ethan’s warmth, the steady pressure of his hands, the way he made the world feel smaller and safer just by being this close. Two weeks without this, without him and I hadn’t realized how cold I’d felt until just now.

I managed a small, shaky laugh, hoping it came off steadier than it felt.

"Adrien’s still a jerk sometimes," I said, my voice quieter than I intended. "But... he’s better now. A lot better. He actually asked for forgiveness, like, really asked, not just hinted at it and he meant it. I forgave him because I could see he’d changed."

Ethan’s thumbs paused for a moment, then continued their slow, absent circles against my skin.

"Yeah?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Forgiveness is a big word."

I nodded, swallowing hard. "It is. But holding onto hate forever seemed heavier than letting go. And honestly?"

I let out a tiny, teasing smile. "Just wait. Soon you’ll see it too. You and Adrien will be best buddies. Matching friendship bracelets, inside jokes, the whole deal. I can totally picture it, matching tattoos that say, ’I used to hate you but now we’re cool.’"