The cool night air hit Keiran like a hammer as he stumbled out of the restaurant, receipt still crumpled in his hand. His sister, Aarti, followed close behind, her brow furrowed as she watched him sway on his feet.
"Goodbye, then," Keiran said with a lopsided grin, waving one hand as if to dismiss her.
Aarti folded her arms, unimpressed. "You can barely stand. How exactly are you planning on getting home?"
"I'm fine," Keiran insisted, straightening his back for all of two seconds before his heel caught on the kerb. He lurched forward, nearly eating pavement, until Aarti caught his arm.
"You're drunk," she said flatly. "You shouldn't even be drinking this much. College or not, it doesn't make it any smarter."
"Yeah, yeah," Keiran muttered, his words slurring just slightly. He tried to pull away, but his body betrayed him, leaning into her like a broken marionette.
She sighed. "That's it. You're staying at my place tonight."
"Nah, I'm good," Keiran protested half-heartedly. "Can't, I've got stuff to do…"
"You can't even walk straight." Her voice softened, but her grip stayed firm. "Stop fighting me on this, Kieran."
His stubbornness fizzled against her steady tone, and all he could do was chuckle weakly. "Fine. Lead the way, sis."
The streets were quieter now, the festival energy from earlier fading into the calm of night. Lanterns swayed in the breeze, their glow painting the cobblestones in patches of gold and shadow. Aarti walked steadily, guiding Keiran with his arm draped over her shoulders, his weight pressing into her as they made their way through the winding streets.
For a while, the only sound was the rhythm of their steps. Then Keiran's voice broke the silence, low and unsteady.
"…Sorry."
Aarti glanced up at him. "For what?"
"Everything." His words spilt out like water from a cracked glass. "Sorry for leaving you alone. Sorry for not being there. Sorry for… all the shit I put you through."
Her grip on him tightened, but she didn't interrupt.
Keiran's gaze drifted up to the sky; stars were blurred by drink but still shimmering. "You know, freedom's amazing. It really is. This world… it's beautiful. Have you ever just stopped to look? To breathe? It's like…" He trailed off, shaking his head before continuing.
"It's like the moment you finally step outside after being trapped in a room too long. That first breath, it burns, but it's worth it. I ran away because I thought I needed that. I thought I needed to escape the chains, the rules, and the suffocation. And I did… but."
His throat tightened, the words dragging out heavy and raw. "But the price was leaving you behind. Leaving Mira. I wanted to be free, but I never stopped to think about what I was shackling you with instead."
Aarti looked down, her bangs hiding her expression. She bit her lip hard enough to sting, refusing to let the tears rise.
Keiran let out a humourless laugh. "I keep telling myself I'm stronger now, that I've grown… But when I look back, all I see is a coward. A coward who abandoned his family because he didn't know how to face them."
They walked in silence for a moment, his words hanging heavy in the cool night air. Finally, Aarti slowed, her voice trembling just slightly.
"… You're so damn cool."
Keiran blinked, the drunken haze clearing just enough for the words to hit him. His head turned, eyes wide, a gleam lighting up his face like the spark of a fire.
"Wait. Did you just say I'm cool?"
"I…" Aarti started, flustered.
But it was too late. Keiran's grin exploded across his face, wild and boyish, all pain drowned by sudden joy. He threw his head back and bellowed into the night with a raw, off-key scream:
"It's because I'm a punk rocker—OH YES I AM!"
His voice echoed down the street, startling a stray cat and earning a few annoyed looks from late-night passersby. Aarti groaned, covering her face with her hand, but despite herself, a laugh escaped her lips.
Keiran, swaying with the weight of drink and his own ridiculous pride, looked at her with that stupid grin plastered across his face. For once, the heaviness between them lifted, just enough to breathe.
And for one fleeting night, they were simply siblings again. Broken, healing, and laughing under the stars.