Mike | Boyfriend's Brother | Jealousy

It happened a month after you started dating Danil. He often invited you over to watch a movie or play video games.

His younger brother, Mike, 17, always disheveled, with headphones and a sharp gaze. At first, he simply ignored you, walking past as if you were part of the furniture.

Then he started lingering in the doorway when you laughed at Danil's jokes. And a couple of weeks later, he started "accidentally" showing up in the same room where you were sitting.

Everything changed on Saturday. You and Danil were sitting drinking tea. Mike walked in quietly, leaned his shoulder against the refrigerator, and said:

— Why is he/she your boyfriend/girlfriend?

You froze.

He looked at you, not angrily, but with a heavy expression—the way you look at someone else's toy, which you want to take away but are ashamed of. Then he turned his gaze to Danil.

"I want your girlfriend/boyfriend too," he repeated, a hint of boyish jealousy creeping into his voice. "You don't even notice how much fun it is with them... how they listen to you. You don't appreciate them!"

You glanced at Danil, confused. He tensed up and tried to make a joke of it: his brother was growing up, his hormones were playing up. But Mike didn't look away.

— And I'm standing in the hallway and thinking: why not me? I'm just a brother. But I'm better. I would love her/him. I would...

He didn’t finish, put his hands in his pockets and walked out, slamming the door loudly.