Between The Line || EstWilliam AU

Seven

It was late in the afternoon by the time Est and William made it back to Est's house after school. The house was quiet, too quiet, as always. His mom were away again, likely off on another business trip or working late at the office. It had been this way for as long as Est could remember—just him and William left to take care of each other, though it often felt like Est was the one doing all the caring. He had long accepted the role of being William's guardian, even if it meant constantly picking up after his younger brother's messes.

As they walked into the kitchen, Est glanced over at William, who was already heading toward the couch, slumping down with a tired sigh. Est could tell that the meeting with the principal hadn't fazed him at all. William had a way of brushing off every warning, every punishment like it was just another inconvenience. It bothered Est, but he was used to it. This was just William being William.

"Hey," Est called out as he opened the fridge, scanning for something to make for dinner. "What do you want to eat?"

"Anything," William mumbled from the living room, already grabbing the remote to turn on his PS5. "I'm starving."

Est shook his head but smiled to himself as he pulled out some ingredients. Cooking had become part of his routine whenever he stayed with William. It was comforting, in a way—something to distract him from the constant worry that gnawed at him about his brother's future. Their parents, busy as they were, never had much time to make sure William was eating properly or even coming home on time, so it had always fallen on Est. He didn't mind it, though. Taking care of William was second nature to him now, even if William made it difficult sometimes.

He started preparing a simple stir-fry, the sound of sizzling vegetables and meat filling the quiet kitchen. The smell drifted into the living room, catching William's attention.

"That smells good," William called out, his voice lazily drifting over the sounds of his game. "Better hurry up before I die of hunger."

Est rolled his eyes. "Just a few more minutes. Try not to starve before then."

When dinner was finally ready, Est brought the plates over to the living room, setting one down on the coffee table in front of William. "Eat up," he said, sitting down beside him with his own plate.

William immediately paused his game and dug in, barely looking up as he ate. Est watched him for a moment, taking in the boyish way William shoveled food into his mouth, not a care in the world. It made Est smile, though it also reminded him of how much William still had to grow up. He had been shielding William from the harsh realities of life for so long, always cleaning up his messes, always making sure he didn't face the full brunt of the consequences. But after today's meeting with the principal, Est wasn't sure how much longer he could keep doing that.

"So," Est began, trying to keep his voice light as he pushed his food around on his plate. "About what happened at school today..."

William groaned, dropping his fork with a clatter. "Oh, come on, are we really doing this now? I thought you were going to give me a break tonight."

"I'm not trying to lecture you," Est said quickly, raising a hand in defense. "I just want to talk."

"Same thing," William muttered, but he didn't get up or storm off like he usually did when Est tried to have these talks. Instead, he kept eating, though his eyes were fixed on the game screen.

Est sighed, setting his plate down and leaning back against the couch. "You know, William... this isn't just about you getting in trouble. The school's giving you a final warning. If you keep this up, you're going to get kicked out."

"So what?" William said with a shrug, not looking at him. "If they kick me out, I'll just go to another school. No big deal."

Est clenched his jaw. He had expected this answer. William always acted like nothing mattered, like there were no real consequences for his actions. But this time, Est couldn't let it slide. He knew better then lashing all his emotions at him, he did feel angry with William's attitude, but he won't raise his voice or scold him harshly. He did raise his voice before this, like a year ago. Due to the same thing, William and his problems at school, just for William to went missing for a week after that.  William have a very sensitive heart, he can't stand people he loves raising their voice at him.

"It IS a big deal," Est said, his voice firmer now. "You can't just keep running from your problems. Do you realize how hard it'll be to get into another school if you get expelled? You're reputation will be blacklist. This isn't just about you messing around anymore. It's about your future."

William finally looked at him then, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Why do you care so much? It's my life. I'll figure it out."

"I care because I'm your brother," Est said, his voice softer now, though the weight of his words hung heavy between them. "And because I want you to have a future. You think this is all just a game, but it's not. I've been doing everything I can to help you, to make sure you don't get into more trouble. But I can't keep bailing you out like this."

William snorted, leaning back on the couch with a smirk. "Yeah, right. You always help me out. You've got my back, and I know you won't let me get kicked out. That's why I'm not worried."

Est's heart sank. That was exactly the problem. William had grown too comfortable, too reliant on him. And as much as Est loved him, he knew that continuing to enable William's behavior was only making things worse. He couldn't keep shielding him from the consequences forever.

Silence embrace them for a moment, as if both processing what just happened. Est sat there, mind blanking, thinking something in deep. While William, he felt like he said something he shouldn't said, and the way his brother react really didn't help it. But he just shrugged it of, continue eating his food.

Suddenly, Est asked something he hadn't planned on, something that had been weighing on his mind for a while. "William, do you... do you want me to stay close to you? Or do you not care?"

William looked at him, confused. "What kind of question is that?"

"I'm serious," Est said, his gaze steady. "Do you want me around? Do you want me to keep looking out for you?"

"Of course I do," William replied, looking even more confused now. "Why would you even ask that?"

Est sighed, running a hand through his hair. He had been thinking about studying abroad, pursuing his study at his dream university. Maybe it would help William learn to stand on his own if he wasn't always there to pick up the pieces. But he couldn't bring himself to tell William that. Not yet.

"If you want me to stay with you," Est said slowly, choosing his words carefully, "then you need to change. You can't keep acting like this. I need to know that you're going to start taking things seriously, especially at school."

William rolled his eyes, his usual smirk returning. "And what if I don't? You won't do it right? You're not really going to leave me right Phi? Come on, you love me too much for that."

Est went quiet, his eyes soft but serious as he looked at William. "I will, if I have to."

The words were quiet but firm, and they hung in the air between them like a challenge.

William froze, his expression faltering for just a moment. He stared at Est, his smirk fading. "You wouldn't," he said, though his voice wasn't as confident as before.

"I would," Est replied, keeping his gaze steady. "If that's what it takes for you to get your life together, I would."

For a long moment, they just stared at each other, the tension in the air thick and palpable. Then, William laughed—though it was more forced than usual, like he was trying to shake off the weight of Est's words. "Yeah, right," he muttered, though he didn't meet Est's eyes. "You could never leave me."

Est didn't respond. He didn't need to. Deep down, William knew the truth. As much as Est loved him, as much as he would do anything to protect him, there was only so much he could do before he had to let go.

And deep down, William knew he didn't want that.