older brothers

The living room was a mix of their personalities—a little too neat in some corners, thanks to Nick, but with signs of Aiden's chaos scattered around: a grease-streaked rag on the coffee table and a half-finished model car perched precariously on the bookshelf. The faint smell of coffee lingered, likely from Nick’s third cup of the day.

Nick sat upright on the couch, a medical journal resting on his lap, his reading glasses perched on his nose. His shirt was perfectly pressed, and his watch gleamed under the warm glow of the overhead light. He glanced up as the door opened, his expression calm but expectant. “You’re late,” he said, not unkindly but with a slight edge.

Aiden was sprawled on the other end of the couch, legs kicked up on the armrest, a controller in one hand and a bag of chips in the other. His t-shirt was smudged with grease, and his hair was a little messy. He barely looked away from the screen before grinning. “Finally! Thought you got lost or something,” he joked, tossing a chip into his mouth. His relaxed posture was a stark contrast to Nick’s composed demeanor.

Between the two of them, the house felt like a balance of order and chaos, just like always.