Kira lies sprawled on her bed, phone in hand, eyes locked on her Instagram feed. Her brow furrows as she scrolls through her ex's posts, each swipe of her finger dripping with disdain. "Tch." She clicks her tongue, venom lacing her words. "Look at this bastard, grinning like he's innocent. As if." Her gaze narrows on a photo of him with another girl. "Please. I'm ten times hotter than this chick." Suddenly she hears her door creak open, eliciting an exasperated groan from her. "Ugh, Brother? Who said you could barge in here?" She peers over her phone, fixing him with a piercing glare. After a moment, she rolls her eyes. "Whatever. Get your butt over here. I need to ask you something." She pats the spot beside her, her tone filled with annoyance but slightly softer than normal.

You're all cramped. There's plenty of room on the bed with me. She gestures to the spot beside her with a jerk of her head Now get over here and quit being so goddamn awkward about it.

Ugh... Fine. She huffs and rolls her eyes, shifting over to make room for him beside her. When he finally sits down, she glares at him before pushing the phone under his nose, pointing to the photo of her ex and his new girlfriend. "See? This is what I'm talking about." Her voice takes on a slightly accusing note as she continues, "Do you think I should tell Mom? Or should we just wait for him to slip up?"

"Because I want to know how much of a backstabbing cheat he really is!" she snaps. "And it's none of your business why I was looking at them in the first place." She folds her arms across her chest, glaring at him expectantly.

Hmph. "I'm not stupid, you know," she mutters. "I just need to find some way to make him pay." Her gaze flickers over to her brother, and for a moment it softens. "Thanks... for understanding, I guess." There's the slightest hint of vulnerability in her voice as she adds, "I don't know what I'd do without you."

*She rolls her eyes, clearly not convinced. After a moment, she relents and nudges him playfully with her shoulder. "Fine, you're probably right. I should just focus on myself for now." Her tone is slightly less irritable as she continues, "But he better have some epic regret about losing me... someday." A sly grin crosses her face.

Irritation flares up within her once more. "Oh, yeah? So you think I should just forget about it then?" She pokes him harder this time, grinning with fake innocence. "That's what you'd do, huh?" Her eyes narrow into slits as she studies his reaction, waiting for him to admit that he wouldn't be able to move on so easily either.

"Hmmm..." She hums thoughtfully, not quite ready to let it go just yet. "But that's because you're not a girl. You don't understand what this feels like." Her gaze drops slightly as she continues, voice softer now. "I mean... I wish I could just forget about him. But every time I see something of his or think about how he used to be with me..." She trails off, her cheeks flushing red.

For once in their interaction, there's no barb in her words; she's being genuine and vulnerable instead. The contrast is stark against her usual brash exterior.

She goes quiet for a moment, taking in his words. Even though she knows they're true, it's still hard for her to imagine him going through anything even remotely similar. Finally, she looks up at him and nods slowly. "You're right. I shouldn't assume that just because you're a guy, you wouldn't understand how I feel." Her expression softens further as she reaches out to lightly pat his knee in a gesture of apology. "I'm sorry for being insensitive." There's a long pause before she speaks again, her voice barely above a whisper. "Do you... want to watch some movies or something? To take my mind off it?"

She stifles a laugh at his attempt to appear nonchalant. "Oh? And who could have possibly caught your eye?" Her tone is lighthearted and playful as she teases him, already feeling better about their interaction. Nudging him with her shoulder again, she grins impishly. "You should introduce me sometime."

Together they scroll through Netflix, eventually settling on a romantic comedy that promises plenty of laughter and mindless entertainment. Curled up under the covers, Kira snuggles closer to him as the film starts playing. Her fingers lazily trace patterns across his thigh while she periodically glances over at him, studying his expression. It feels nice to be close to her brother again - even if it's just for a movie night.

As they watch, Kira occasionally finds herself unable to resist poking fun at various aspects of the film or making inappropriate jokes, earning her a few playful shoves from him between laughter-filled breaths. It's their usual sibling banter, but with an undertone of something more significant this time around. There's an easiness to it that feels almost foreign after all the arguments and tension they've been through lately. And even though she knows this might not be how he normally would act around her, she finds herself feeling grateful for the small moment of normalcy they share tonight.

The credits roll, signaling the end of their movie night, and Kira reluctantly pulls away from him to stretch out on her back once more. "That wasn't so bad, was it?" She says quietly, looking over at him with an almost shy expression. "We didn't have to fight or anything."

He looks up at her, gazing for a moment before giving what might be

She rolls her eyes but smiles faintly. "I'm just teasing." His words seem to linger in the air between them, unspoken yet understood. Something changes in the atmosphere then; a newfound vulnerability settles over them as they lie together in the quiet darkness. It's almost like they've both crossed some invisible line without realizing it, leaving their usual banter and arguments behind to venture into territory neither of them has explored before.

After what feels like an eternity of silence, she finally speaks up again, her voice barely above a whisper. "You know... if you want to try talking to me more often or something..." Her words trail off, leaving the sentence unfinished and open-ended. But there's a plea in her eyes that he can't help but see clearly now.

He hesitates for only a moment before replying softly, "Yeah... maybe we could try that." His tone is just as tentative as hers, mirroring the uncertainty they both feel about this newfound closeness. But there's also something else there; an acceptance and willingness to give it a chance that makes her heart skip a beat.

The silence between them stretches out again, but this time it doesn't feel heavy or awkward. It feels... right. As they lie together under the covers, their fingers twine together, seeking solace in the simple contact. Neither of them knows where this new path will lead them, but for now, they're content to explore it together.

She blushes at his admission and turns her head away, not meeting his gaze. "I know you do," she says softly, feeling the words catch in her throat. It's the first time she's ever acknowledged this to him out loud, and it leaves her feeling strangely vulnerable yet free somehow. "And I... I love you too." Her voice is barely audible over the sound of their breathing as they lie there together in the quiet darkness. It's a confession that feels both strange and natural at the same time; like they've been waiting for this moment forever, even if neither of them realized it until now.

Their fingers tighten around each other's as they remain silent for what seems like an eternity, content to just exist in this moment together. Kira isn't sure where things will go from here, but she knows one thing for certain: even if they never end up back at where they were before all of this happened with her ex... well, that's okay too. Because she has her brother now. And somehow, in the midst of all the pain and heartache, she realizes that's always been enough.

With a small smile curving her lips, she nuzzles against him. "I know you won't, stupid." Her voice is soft, full of affection and relief. And as they lie together like this, surrounded by the comforting familiarity of their shared history and bond, it feels almost impossible for her to imagine ever being truly alone again. Together, they drift off to sleep; safe in each other's arms, secure in the knowledge that no matter what happens from here on out, they will always have this moment - these memories - to keep them warm through even the darkest of nights.