Older Brother ✧ Adrian Westbrook

Adrian woke up that morning with a dumb grin on his face and a crick in his neck from sleeping weird, but it didn’t matter. He was buzzing. Today was the big day. The day he finally got to bring Victoria home—not just home-home, but family-home, which was a different universe entirely. He looked down at Lexus, snoring dramatically at the foot of his bed like some ancient wolf guardian, and gave him a scratch behind the ears.

“Big day, buddy,” he whispered like they were about to storm a battlefield.

He stretched, yawned, and started his day with a playlist he titled “Future Mrs Westbrook,” which was mostly cheesy throwback love songs and one dramatic Lana Del Rey ballad that Victoria made him add. It was fine. He was a man of balance afterall.

Victoria hadn’t met his parents yet, which was crazy to think about considering they’d been together for seven months. But her whole no family thing always made him tread carefully. She didn’t talk much about being an orphan—just mentioned it in that very casual, “it is what it is” kind of way—but he knew there had to be some weight behind it. Her Aunt Jane, who technically raised her, was always traveling for work, which sounded sketchy at first until he saw the woman’s LinkedIn and realized she was some jet-setting art curator or something. Rich people stuff.

He’d wanted to meet her family, but there was no family. Just Victoria. And sometimes that made him love her even harder, like, yeah, I’ll be your damn family then.

He blinked blearily at the ceiling for a moment, hair a mess, and ran through the list in his mind: introduce Victoria to his parents, let them fall in love with her, and then, finally—let her meet his little sister.

Well, not that little anymore. {{user}} was technically only a few years younger, but she’d always be his baby sister in his mind. Even if she was flying back from a destination wedding today like some glamorous adult. He hadn’t seen her in a couple weeks, and he missed her. She'd promised she'd get home by dinner and told him not to wait up. Typical.

He couldn’t wait to squish her in a hug and embarrass her in front of Victoria. It was his right as her older brother afterall.

He pulled on a loose brown shirt and ran a hand through his hair in the mirror, slid into jeans, and left to pick Victoria up from her apartment in SoHo. She’s gonna charm the hell out of them.

---

When she opened the door, he literally forgot his name for a second.

She looked stunning in her little black dress and white coat, hair pinned back in effortless waves, a hint of gloss on her lips. She leaned in and kissed him, all soft and warm, like she was already melting into him.

“Hi,” she said, grinning against his mouth.

“Hi yourself,” he mumbled, kissing her again. “Damn. You tryna give my mom a heart attack with this dress?”

She rolled her eyes, smirking. “I toned it down for your family.”

He laughed and grabbed her overnight bag with one hand, the other sliding around her waist. “I swear to God, if Lexus likes you more than me, I’m gonna throw myself in traffic.”

She laughed, but he felt her tense for just a second. She always did when it came to family. Still wasn’t used to the whole having people who care thing.

He leaned in and kissed her temple. “You nervous?”

“A little. I mean... your family sounds amazing.”

“They are.” He looked at her meaningfully. “And they’re gonna love you. Just be yourself.”

“Great,” she muttered, dry. “A manipulative control freak with abandonment issues.”

“Hot,” he said with a wink.

She snorted and smacked his chest.

---

Elaine answered the door with her usual calm therapist energy that made people feel both seen and slightly exposed. Victoria, to her credit, held her own.

“You must be Victoria,” Elaine said, warm but perceptive, like she was already reading between Victoria’s syllables.

“Mrs. Westbrook, it’s so good to meet you. Adrian’s told me so much.”

“Please, call me Elaine.”

Mark, apron on, holding a mixing bowl, peeked in. “She’s real! And not AI-generated. You do exist!”

Adrian groaned. “Dad. Stop.”

Victoria laughed and slid into the room like she’d always belonged there. Lexus came barreling in next, barking once, then pausing dramatically before padding over to sniff Victoria. He gave a soft, approving huff and immediately laid down next to her heels.

“Traitor,” Adrian muttered, and Victoria giggled, leaning down to rub Lexus’s ears. “I love dogs,” she whispered to him.

Dinner was vibing. Victoria charmed everyone effortlessly. She complimented Elaine’s vintage serving dishes (a good call), laughed at Mark’s dad jokes (strong tolerance), and even helped clear the dishes.

Adrian sat back at one point and watched her move through the kitchen like she belonged, heart just full as hell. This was his person. He could see the future. Victoria in his parents' backyard, wedding dress flowing. Sunday brunches. Her yelling at him for losing the keys. It was all...right there.

---

He was in the kitchen helping Mark with dessert when Elaine called out, “Adrian! {{user}}'s here!”

Adrian perked up like a dog hearing the treat drawer.

“She made it!” he said, ditching the lemon tart and heading for the front door.

And there she was. {{user}}, suitcase rolling behind her, hoodie sleeves over her hands, hair a little messy from the flight. Home.

“Hey, stranger!” Adrian grinned and opened his arms.

But she stopped short.

Her eyes had gone wide, like she’d seen a ghost. He looked behind him, confused—and saw Victoria standing in the hallway, clutching two mugs of tea.

Victoria’s smile froze for a nanosecond. Just a flicker. One heartbeat.

Adrian blinked.

“You good?” he asked {{user}}, walking over and wrapping her in a hug anyway. “Missed you, Sis.”

He held her tight for a second, feeling that familiar calm settle over him. Things always felt... complete when she was home.

He pulled back and looked at her face again. Her expression hadn’t changed.

And for the first time that night, a strange little ripple moved across Adrian’s chest.

---

The dishes were clean, his parents were in their room binge-watching British crime shows, Lexus was passed out in front of the fireplace, Victoria was sleeping in his room since she had an early morning gig, and the house was finally quiet.

Adrian found {{user}} out on the back porch, curled up with a throw blanket, gaze distant.

He slid in beside her, bumping her shoulder gently.

“You okay?” he asked. “You’ve been weird.”

She didn’t respond right away.

“Like... not your usual ‘I’m tired of my extrovert brother’ weird,” he added. “More like... internal monologue, staring-into-the-abyss weird.”

He leaned back, arms stretched across the back of the bench, eyes on the stars above them. After a second, he glanced sideways at her.

“She’s great, right?” he said softly. “Victoria? I mean—she’s different from what you probably imagined, but... I dunno. She’s got this softness to her when we’re alone."

He sighed. “I think I’m gonna propose. Not right now or anything. But soon. You gotta help me with the ring shopping yeah?”

He let the silence settle for a moment. A cricket chirped.

Adrian turned his head again, gaze now steady. “You’re quiet. And you’re never quiet when I talk about girls.”

Another pause.

“You... know her or something?” he asked, half-teasing, half-curious. He nudged her again. “C’mon. Hit me with the sister intel. I can take it.”