love me like a big brother would( Lucas Coly fanfic)

Runaway

### The Escape

The house was suffocating. Dana's fake tears, Lucas's cold stare, and the silence of his friends—it all pressed down on me like a weight I couldn't carry anymore. I couldn't stay here. Not with them. Not with him.

So, I left.

I grabbed my backpack from the corner of the guest room, throwing in whatever I could find—my phone, a hoodie, some snacks I'd stashed away, and a water bottle. My heart pounded as I tiptoed down the stairs. The voices from the living room grew louder as I crept past the door.

"Can you believe her?" Dana's voice was shrill, dripping with fake indignation.

"She's just a kid," one of Lucas's friends said. Was that Craig? I wasn't sure, but it didn't matter. None of them really cared.

Lucas didn't say anything, and that silence stung more than Dana's words ever could.

The back door creaked slightly as I slipped out, and I froze, holding my breath. But no one came. I stepped into the cool night air, my sneakers crunching softly on the gravel as I took off down the driveway.

I didn't have a plan. I just needed to get away.

---

### Lucas

The house felt off. Even with all his friends around, the usual banter and noise felt muted. Lucas couldn't focus. His eyes kept darting toward the stairs, half-expecting his sister—*Tyler*—to come storming down with some new quip or insult.

But she didn't.

"Man, you okay?" Craig asked, nudging him.

"Yeah, fine," Lucas muttered.

Dana was sitting on the couch, still pretending to wipe away nonexistent tears. "She's such a brat," she sniffed. "I don't know how you deal with her."

Lucas ignored her, his jaw tightening. He wasn't about to defend Tyler—not after everything—but something about Dana's tone grated on him.

The uneasy feeling grew stronger. He stood abruptly, heading toward the guest room. The door was ajar, the light off. Inside, the bed was empty, the covers tossed aside.

"Tyler?" he called, his voice sharp. No answer.

He checked the closet, the bathroom, even his own room. Nothing. Panic began to creep in.

"Where is she?" he muttered to himself, storming back downstairs.

"Where's who?" Dana asked, twirling a strand of hair.

"Tyler," he snapped. "She's not here."

Craig stood, his expression serious. "You think she left?"

"She wouldn't..." Lucas trailed off, realizing how little he actually knew about his sister. Would she run away?

He grabbed his car keys. "Stay here. I'm going to find her."

---

### Tyler

The city looked different at night—bigger, louder, and more chaotic. I kept my head down, my hoodie pulled tight over my face as I walked aimlessly. Every step felt heavier than the last, but stopping meant thinking, and I couldn't do that right now.

I ended up in a park, the kind with broken swings and graffiti-covered benches. It was quiet, at least. Dropping onto a bench, I hugged my knees to my chest, trying to block out the cold and the ache in my chest.

"Lucas hates me," I whispered to no one. Saying it out loud didn't make it hurt any less.

My phone buzzed in my bag, but I ignored it. It was probably Mom or Dad—or worse, Lucas. They'd figure out I was gone eventually.

---

### Lucas

He drove through the neighborhood first, his mind racing. Where would she go? Tyler was stubborn, but she wasn't stupid. At least, he hoped not.

He called her phone for the fifth time, only to be sent straight to voicemail. "Tyler, pick up the phone," he growled, gripping the steering wheel tighter.

Then he remembered the park. She used to love parks when they were kids, back when things between them weren't so... complicated.

When he pulled up, the headlights swept across the empty playground. For a second, he thought he'd made a mistake. But then he saw a figure huddled on a bench, her hoodie pulled tight over her head.

"Tyler," he called, stepping out of the car.

She flinched but didn't look up.

"What are you doing here?" His voice was softer now, though it still carried an edge of frustration.

"Why do you care?" she shot back, her voice muffled.

He walked closer, hands shoved in his pockets. "Because you're my sister. Whether you like it or not."

She finally looked up, her face streaked with dried tears. "You hate me," she said quietly.

His chest tightened. "I don't hate you."

"Then why do you act like it?" Her voice cracked, and it cut through him like a knife.

Lucas sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Look, I'm not good at this... family stuff. But I don't hate you. I just—" He paused, searching for the right words. "I don't know how to deal with all of this."

"All of what?"

"You, Tyler. You're loud, and opinionated, and you remind me so much of Mom it's scary."

She blinked, surprised by his honesty.

"But you're here now," he continued, his voice softening, "and I need to figure out how to not mess that up."

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then, Tyler stood, brushing herself off.

"Fine," she said, her tone begrudging. "But Dana's still fake."

Lucas couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, she is."

He held the car door open for her, and for the first time in a long time, things felt... okay.