My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}-Chapter 76: Appreciation

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The morning air felt soft and cool, with a hint of pine and rain lingering in the breeze. I was rocking back and forth in the old chair, pushing off the porch with my bare toes while my game sat paused on my phone screen, my thoughts wandering to other places.

It was day thirteen. Just one more day and this strange little retreat would come to an end. You’d think I’d be looking forward to it, but instead, there was this odd heaviness in my chest, almost like I didn’t want it to end.

Maybe Mom and Keith weren’t the absolute worst parents after all. Their approach was questionable. I mean, who drops their kids off at a cabin miles from anything just to "create bonding moments"?—but somehow, it had worked. Adrien and I weren’t exactly besties, but we’d managed to avoid being enemies too, forever.

I yawned, sinking deeper into the chair as I pulled my knees up. The porch around me was calm, with just the sound of the wind rustling through the trees and the wood creaking beneath me. I was so wrapped up in thought that I didn’t notice the door open until Adrien stepped out, one hand stuffed in his pocket while he held a mug of coffee in the other.

"Morning," I murmured, still looking at my phone.

He responded with a vague sound and leaned against the railing, the sunlight catching in his messy hair. I noticed his bandaged hand moving as he raised the mug, and caught myself staring a little.

"How’s your hand?" I asked, glancing at the white wrap.

Adrien sighed and followed my gaze. "It’s fine, really. It wasn’t a big cut."

I raised an eyebrow at him, lowering my phone. "Still, all injuries need to be taken care of. You can’t just ignore them no matter how small they are."

He smirked a bit. "You sound like a nurse."

"Maybe you need one," I shot back. "That ’I’m fine’ attitude isn’t going to help you someday."

His lips curled up in an amused grin. "You mean like emotional injuries? Because if that’s what you’re hinting at, princess, I’m doing just fine."

For a second, I froze. I hadn’t meant it like that, but hearing him say it made something tighten in my chest. I forced a laugh, though it felt a bit shaky. "Sure you are. You’re basically the poster boy for emotional stability." I said with sarcasm. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

He shrugged while sipping his coffee. "Could be worse, I guess."

"Could you?" I teased, trying to stay lighthearted even though his earlier comment was still buzzing in my chest. "I’ve definitely seen worse. You’re... at least somewhat tolerable now."

He shot me a sideways glance, that familiar half-smile creeping back onto his face, which was both annoying and a little too charming. "Tolerable, huh? High praise from you."

"Don’t let it inflate your ego." I smiled at him and for some reason he looked away the second I did. I turned back at my phone but not really absorbed in it. My earlier words hovered in my mind. All injuries need healing. I had mentioned it about his hand, but we both knew I wasn’t just talking about that.

I was referring to the unspoken things between us, the hurt, the regrets, the awkward way we were slowly learning to share space. Sure, the cut on his hand would heal in a few days, but the wounds we both carried from years past? Those would take longer.

I appreciated the fact that we didn’t hate each other anymore, but that didn’t mean I was ready to forgive him for all he had done to me yet.

Yet. Knowing myself, I’d forgive him soon enough.

As I sat there beside him in the calm morning light, it struck me that maybe, just maybe, we were beginning to heal.

The breeze was light that morning, carrying the gentle scent of pine and wet earth from the nearby forest. I leaned back in the rocking chair and watched some birds dart across the sky, their wings slicing through the blue. My phone had gone dark in my hand, and for the first time in a while, I didn’t feel the urge to check it for non-existent messages. I just wanted to breathe.

"You know," I started, my voice soft but clear over the gentle rustling of trees, "I think I’m actually going to miss this place."

Adrien, sitting a few feet away on the porch railing, looked up from his coffee, raising an eyebrow at me. I gave another smile and went on, "It’s just so peaceful here. No cars, no honking, no people rushing around like in Willow Haven. Just fresh air. And space to think."

He didn’t respond immediately, just studied me a moment longer than usual before his gaze shifted back to the trees. His expression was hard to read, as always.

"It is nice," I added. "I mean, I’m glad we’re heading back tomorrow, but..." I paused, brushing a strand of hair out of my face, "there’s a part of me that wouldn’t mind sticking around just a bit longer."

Adrien took his time answering. He finished his coffee, then stood up, setting the mug down beside him. His eyes scanned the clearing and the lake beyond, and for a moment, I noticed something soften in his expression.

"This cabin," he said after a moment, his tone quieter now, "actually belonged to my mom."

I blinked, taken aback by the sudden turn in the conversation.

"She brought me here every summer," he continued, still staring into the trees. "When she passed, it got passed down to me. Legally, it’s mine now."

There was a moment of silence before he turned to me, slipping his hands into his pockets as he strolled closer. His steps were relaxed, casual, but there was a weight to his words that drew me in.

"So," he stated plainly, locking his gaze with mine, "since you love this place so much, I’ll give it to you."

I blinked, momentarily confused before bursting into a small, incredulous laugh. "What?"

He didn’t laugh or smile. Just looked at me like it was the most natural thing in the world to say.

"I’m serious," he said. "The cabin, the property. The woods surrounding it. They’re yours now."

My laughter faded, and I stared at him, trying to make sense of his expression. I was waiting for that usual smirk or playful tease to follow, but it didn’t come. He looked steady, maybe a little distant, but completely sincere.

"Wait—there’s no way y–you’re serious," I said, sitting up a little straighter. "You can’t just give me a cabin, Adrien. That doesn’t work like that."

He shrugged, glancing back towards the lake. "Why not? I loved it here as a kid, but it doesn’t hold the same meaning to me anymore. I hardly visit, and I don’t plan to. It’s just a memory." His jaw tightened slightly. "If someone else can appreciate it as she did, I’d prefer it go to them."

I swallowed, feeling a strange tightness in my chest—half touched, half overwhelmed. "Adrien, I—"

"Don’t make it weird, Elf." he cut in lightly, finally meeting my gaze again with a faint smirk that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Think of it as a parting gift. You said you’d miss it here, so... now you won’t have to."

I stared at him, speechless, my words caught somewhere in the back of my throat. "You’re crazy," I finally managed, laughing again but this time it was softer. "Who just gives away a mansion?"

He smiled faintly, his eyes flickering over me before turning back toward the forest. "Someone who doesn’t need it anymore," he replied quietly.

And even though he said it so easily, there was something in his tone that made my heart ache. Because I realized—he wasn’t just referring to the cabin.