Sibling spotlight - billie and Finneas story

Innocent drawing

Chapter 34: Innocent drawing

The quiet after their heart-to-heart settled like a calm breeze in the room. Y/N, still nestled in Billie’s arms, seemed to relax a little, the tension draining from her body. For a moment, everything was still, the weight of their conversation slowly lifting, though the undercurrent of concern lingered between Billie and Finneas.

Then, Y/N’s eyes wandered across the room, and she spotted a notepad and pen lying on the coffee table. Something shifted in her demeanor. She leaned forward, gently slipping out of Billie’s embrace, and reached for the notepad, her fingers curling around the pen almost instinctively.

“What are you up to, Y/N?” Finneas asked, his voice gentle but curious.

Y/N didn’t answer immediately. She sat cross-legged on the floor, her brow furrowed in concentration as she began to scribble on the paper. Finneas and Billie exchanged a glance, their worry momentarily replaced by curiosity as they watched her.

After a few moments, Y/N started drawing, sketching shapes and lines that were childlike and playful. A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips, a rare flicker of joy breaking through her otherwise heavy mood. She hummed quietly to herself, completely absorbed in her little doodles, as though she had momentarily forgotten about the pressure, the comments, the overwhelming weight of the world.

Finneas and Billie watched in silence, their hearts aching as they saw this side of her emerge—a side that was still so young, so innocent, despite everything she was going through. The childish way she drew, the way her face lit up slightly as she added silly little details, reminded them of who she truly was beneath all the fame and expectations. She was still just a 16-year-old girl, their little sister, trying to navigate a world that had thrown her into the deep end far too soon.

Billie’s chest tightened. She adored her sister—loved her more than anything—but seeing Y/N like this, vacillating between the burden of adulthood and these fleeting moments of childlike joy, broke her heart. It was like watching someone torn between two worlds, unable to find peace in either.

“She’s still just a kid,” Billie whispered to Finneas, her voice thick with emotion.

“I know,” Finneas replied quietly, his eyes never leaving Y/N as she doodled away, oblivious to the quiet conversation happening behind her. “It’s hard to remember that sometimes with everything she’s going through. She’s had to grow up so fast.”

Billie nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. “I just wish she didn’t have to carry all this. She deserves to be carefree, to just... be a kid. Not have to deal with all this pressure.”

Finneas sighed, his gaze softening as he watched Y/N draw little stars and clouds on the page. “We’ll help her through it. We’ll protect her as much as we can. But it’s hard knowing how much the world has already affected her.”

Billie wiped at her eyes, trying to keep her composure. She didn’t want Y/N to see how much her struggles were weighing on them, but it was impossible not to feel the heaviness in moments like this. Y/N’s innocence, her desire to escape into something as simple as drawing, was a stark reminder of just how young and vulnerable she truly was.

As Y/N kept drawing, she eventually turned the notepad toward them, her face lighting up with a proud smile. “Look! I made you both superheroes!”

On the paper, Billie and Finneas were transformed into comic book-style superheroes, complete with capes and exaggerated muscles. The drawings were crude, but there was something endearing about them—something that tugged at both of their hearts.

Finneas chuckled softly, trying to lighten the mood. “Wow, I look strong. Maybe I should hit the gym.”

Y/N giggled, that sound rare and precious, and for a moment, it was like everything was normal again. But Billie and Finneas could still see the fragility beneath her laughter, the way her joy was fleeting and easily overshadowed by the darkness she was fighting.

“You’re so talented,” Billie said, her voice soft as she reached out and ruffled Y/N’s hair. “You can do anything, you know that?”

Y/N blushed a little, shrugging. “It’s just a silly drawing.”

“Maybe,” Billie said with a smile. “But it’s your drawing, and that makes it special.”

Y/N smiled softly, her eyes flicking back to the notepad. “Thanks,” she mumbled, her voice shy. Then, as if the weight of the conversation earlier had lifted completely, she lay down on the floor, her arms spread out as she stared up at the ceiling, her body language much lighter now.

Finneas and Billie exchanged another glance, the same mixture of love and concern in their eyes. As much as these moments of innocence made them smile, they were also a painful reminder of how much their sister was struggling. They wanted to protect her, to shield her from everything that was hurting her, but they knew they couldn’t shelter her from the world forever.

Still, for now, they were content to sit with her, to let her bask in the small joys of being a kid, even if only for a little while.

And as Y/N started to doodle again, Billie and Finneas both silently promised themselves that no matter what happened, they would always be there for her, to catch her when she fell and to remind her that she didn’t have to carry the weight of the world alone.