My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}-Chapter 105: The Overprotective Stepbrother

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Adrien stood still in the doorway, and it felt like the space between him and Ethan shrank, almost like the air was tightening around us. Ethan attempted a smile, giving a shaky little nod trying once again to be civil to the person he hated to the core.

"Hey, man," he said, clearing his throat. "Hope you’re, uh... having a great night."

Adrien didn’t smile back. He didn’t even fake it. Instead, he studied Ethan like he was checking out some old, spoiled milk. "It’s fine," he replied, his tone sharp and cool. Then, he turned his focus to me. "Noah, come inside. It’s getting late."

Wait, what the hell?

The way he said it sent a chill down my spine. It wasn’t protective, like an older brother looking out for me, nor was it just annoyance at having to wait. It was something deeper, something I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

I blinked at him. "I—It’s literally just a little past eight."

"And it’s getting late," he repeated, his voice soft yet pointed enough to tighten Ethan’s jaw.

Ethan laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh... he’s fine, man. I just walked him up—"

"I can see that," Adrien interrupted, his face having a slight irritation flickering beneath the surface.

Yikes, how long is this this going to last? 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

The tension in the air was almost palpable, like I could reach out and grab it. They were staring at each other. neither glaring nor acting normally. It felt like watching two magnets resisting each other; their politeness was strained, only held together because I was standing there.

And honestly, I had no clue why.

Once upon a time, Adrien had never cared what time I got home...not once. He barely even acknowledged my presence back then. Yet now he was acting like he’d been counting down the minutes for my return, like some overprotective older brother.

So why this sudden concern? When had he started caring about my non-existent curfew, who walked me to the door, or how close Ethan stood when he touched my waist?

Confusion twisted in my gut, but I managed a small, tight smile. "I’ll be right in."

Adrien didn’t seem sold on that, but he stepped back just enough to let me pass as if he was doing me some kind of favor.

Ethan exhaled softly, like he’d been holding his breath the whole time. He leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on my cheek, brushing his hand against my arm in a way that made my heart skip a beat.

"Goodnight, pretty boy," he murmured, his voice warm enough to chase away the cold tension Adrien left in the air. "I’ll text you when I get home."

"Goodnight," I whispered back, wishing we weren’t being watched like we were criminals on trial.

"Yeah, goodnight, Seymour." Adrien said.

He squeezed my hand once before stepping away, glancing back over his shoulder as he walked toward his car, still baffled by whatever that awkward showdown was.

As soon as the front door clicked shut behind me, the confusion swelled heavier in my chest. I stepped inside, feeling the warmth from Ethan’s kiss still lingering on my cheek.

Adrien said nothing as he walked across the foyer, his jaw set tight, like he was biting down on some unspoken argument. He didn’t even glance at me just headed straight for the kitchen, with a thick silence trailing behind him that I couldn’t ignore.

Of course, I followed him.

The kitchen lights were low, casting a soft glow over the marble counters, as Adrien yanked open the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. He twisted the cap a bit too hard, and the crack of plastic made me jump. My irritation bubbled up before I could quash it.

"What the hell was that?" I demanded, crossing my arms and leaning against the counter.

Adrien paused mid-sip, giving me that slow blink he always did when he was pretending not to understand. It was infuriating. "What was what?" he asked, sounding completely casual as if he hadn’t just acted like some jealous gatekeeper at the door.

I stared, unimpressed. "Adrien, don’t play dumb. You opened that door like you were ready to drag me inside. And that comment about my curfew? I don’t even have a curfew because I barely leave the house for anything other than school. Seriously? Since when do you care what time I come home?"

He shrugged, taking another sip while pointedly avoiding my gaze. "It was late. I said it was late. That’s all."

"That’s not all and you know it," I shot back, pushing off the counter to face him properly. "You were being weird. Even Ethan noticed, and he doesn’t even know you that well."

His jaw twitched slightly a subtle move, but I caught it. "I wasn’t being weird."

"Yes, you were," I insisted, feeling frustration coil tighter in my chest. "And whatever that passive-aggressive nonsense was? Cut it out. Ethan’s going to be around more, so just be nice. Or, at the very least, act like a normal person instead of..." I waved my hands toward him, "whatever that was back there."

Finally, he looked at me, his eyes cool but not cold like there was something boiling just beneath the surface that he wouldn’t admit. "I don’t care if he’s around," he said quietly, almost too controlled. "I just don’t fucking like him."

I blinked, taken aback. "He’s not yours to like and you don’t even know him."

He shrugged again, but this time it felt defensive, a wall going up. "Didn’t say I needed to."

I huffed out a disbelieving laugh. "Well, maybe you should try giving him a chance instead of glaring at him like he stole your favorite toy."

That got a sharp exhale out of him, almost a laugh but not quite. "If you say so," he muttered, uncapping the bottle again.

I rolled my eyes and stepped back, but inside, my thoughts were spinning. Why was he acting like this

And the worst part?

He didn’t even seem to realize how odd he was being.

Or maybe he did and he just loved to witness my frustrations.

I let out a long breath, watching him from across the kitchen as he leaned against the counter, drinking his water like the conversation was already over.