My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}-Chapter 50: Somber Emotions

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Adrien’s lips curled into a smirk that didn’t quite reach his eyes, and as he started walking toward me, every instinct in my body screamed to run. But I didn’t move. I stood my ground, even as his shadow loomed over the porch, swallowing up the light between us.

"Well, well," he said, his voice low and sharp, "look who finally decided to speak up. I didn’t think you had it in you to talk back to me like that again."

He probably thinks he’s some kind of god or something, but yeah, I was done being pushed around.

His tone was icy, mocking. With every step he took forward, I instinctively stepped back, the wooden boards creaking under my feet.

"I guess being around your precious Ethan has made you bold, huh?" he continued, his eyes gleaming with a satisfaction that felt almost tangible. "But don’t forget who you’re talking to, Noah. You’re way out of your depth."

"Don’t... don’t start that again," I managed to say, even though my throat felt tight.

He tilted his head, his gaze steady. "It’s funny, really. You act like you’ve got it all together, like you’re better than me, but you’re not. You’re still that same nobody from nowhere, trying to fit into a life that doesn’t belong to you."

I flinched; his words cut deeper than I wanted to admit.

For a moment, the anger flared bright enough to drown out the fear. "I don’t care what you think of me," I replied, though my voice wavered a bit. "You can keep trying to make me feel small, but it won’t change anything. Call me a loser or a pussy all you want, but at least I’m honest... at least I’m trying."

Adrien’s expression shifted, something flickering across his face.

"You think I want to be here fighting with you? I’d rather die than be around you." I surprised myself by taking a step toward him this time. "I just wish you’d stop making everything harder than it needs to be. You could try being a better person, not just for me, but for yourself, Adrien."

The silence that followed was thick, almost suffocating. His jaw tightened, eyes dark and unreadable, but he didn’t say anything.

I shook my head, my chest feeling tight with a mix of anger and exhaustion. "Forget it," I muttered, turning toward the cabin.

I hurried, feeling frustrated. The door slammed behind me, echoing through the quiet cabin as I leaned back against it, trying to calm my breathing.

Outside, I thought I caught Adrien mumbling something under his breath, but I didn’t care enough to listen. My hands were shaking, my heart racing as I whispered to myself,

I didn’t see Adrien at all until evening. Not that I was upset about it.

I locked myself in my room with my phone, alternating between offline video games and a random old paperback I dug up from a dusty shelf in the living room. The silence was unsettling...no sounds from the city, no notifications, not even the sound of a passing car. Just the faint rustle of trees outside and the occasional creak of the cabin settling.

By evening, I was halfway through the book when my stomach growled loudly, interrupting my reading. I sighed and set it aside. The leftovers Mom had made before leaving were long gone, and I hadn’t spotted any snacks in the pantry yesterday. I figured I’d just check again, maybe I had missed something.

As I walked down the hall, the sound of the wind brushing against the walls nearly masked the soft creak of the balcony door. I paused, noticing the moonlight spilling in. Adrien was out there at the balcony, his posture relaxed but distant, like his mind was somewhere else entirely.

He wasn’t frowning or scowling like usual. Instead, his face wore a... unreadable yet, quiet expression. He held a picture frame, staring at it with a softness that made me hesitate at the doorway. The moonlight highlighted his features, softening them; for once, he didn’t seem angry or cold. He looked... human.

As I edged closer to the balcony doorway, I could see him better. Adrien sat with his elbows resting on his knees, the moonlight casting uneven shadows across his face. It made him look less harsh, his features calm instead of icy.

The shadows played along his jawline, accentuating the strong lines that usually made him seem untouchable. His lashes, longer than any guy’s had a right to be, cast soft shadows under his eyes that, for once, weren’t narrowed in irritation. His dark hair fell just right over his forehead, catching enough light to look almost silver at the tips.

He looked... different. Not like the arrogant jerk who smirked during arguments or shot glares across the room. In that moment, he seemed tired, and there was a strange tenderness in the way his lips pressed together, hinting at something buried deep.

The moonlight made his skin appear pale and almost luminous, catching the faintest shimmer in his eyes... eyes that had always seemed too sharp, too cold. But now, they looked distant, maybe even sad, as if he were somewhere far away, holding onto something only he could feel.

I had to remind myself to breathe. For the first time, Adrien didn’t seem like someone meant to infuriate me. He looked like someone who’d lost something, someone I suddenly wanted to understand. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

But how was that even possible?

Something in my chest tightened at the sight. I didn’t quite know why I couldn’t look away. Maybe because I’d never seen him like this, unguarded, almost fragile.

Then, as if sensing my presence, he turned sharply. His eyes met mine, and the softness vanished in an instant. His jaw tightened.

"What the hell are you staring at?" His tone sliced through the air, sharp enough to make me flinch.

Well, there’s the Adrien I know and hate.

I blinked, thrown off balance, and quickly shook my head. "N-nothing. I was just—"

"Yeah, right." He stood up abruptly, brushing past me while muttering curses under his breath. The doorframe rattled slightly as he pushed through, heading upstairs without a second glance.

For a moment, I just stood there, my heart racing more than it should’ve. Then my eyes dropped to the desk where he left the picture frame.

I hesitated before stepping closer. The photo was of a woman with long brown hair and bright green eyes that seemed to shimmer even in the low light. Her smile radiated warmth, almost familiar in a way that made me swallow hard.

She was holding a little boy in her arms—a boy with dark hair, maybe six years old, laughing so openly that I could almost hear it through the photo.

Adrien.

I traced a finger lightly over the edge of the frame, the resemblance between the woman and him unmistakable. Something about her face was gentle, and it explained the sadness I’d seen in his earlier expression.

Maybe it was the silence, or maybe it was the way the photo glimmered under the moonlight, but for the first time since meeting him, I didn’t feel anger or irritation when I thought of Adrien. Just an ache I couldn’t quite name.

I carefully set the frame back down, backing away from it as if it were something fragile, something sacred.

The hunger I felt earlier vanished when I realized this was the first time I’d seen her photo.

There were none of her photos back at the Oakfield mansion.