The house was cold and empty. Wynter had known it would be and yet it always hurt. The pain like a punch to the stomach. It never faded away.

People lie. They say the pain fades away with time and yet Wynter still felt the pain just as strong as the first time. Wynter prefers to think of pain as something that doesn't go away. People get used to pain. It slowly becomes a part of them, of who they are.

Wynter had not been prepared for this. He hadn't been prepared for a life without his parents. When she overdosed, he blamed Wynter. Said Wynter should've been there to look after her.

Wynter always thought his father and mother loved him more than anything else in the world. He believed and that brought him here. An accidental drug overdose death and an MIA father. His mom wasn't an addict, she was just a normal woman who had trouble sleeping. Insomniac. And when she couldn't sleep since three days she took the whole bottle of sleeping pills.

And she slept forever, leaving behind a fifteen year old boy and a two-year old daughter.

" Hayden! Are you back, love?" Wynter called out to his sister, shutting the door behind him.

Hayden Black sat on the couch, knees pulled up to her chest. Her dark brown hair tied up in a little ponytail that her older brother had sent her to school in. Her eyes were stuck on the TV screen, lower lip bit in concentration as she tried to understand why the broom was flying in the air and why kids were chasing a gold ball with wings.

When she heard her brother's voice she hopped off the couch and ran towards the front door, her little feet hitting the floor like pattering rain drops " Da-da!"

Wynter smiled, hanging up his coat on a peg on the wall before looking down at the little creature with bright brown eyes hugging his legs with her tiny arms.

He lifted her up into his arms, planting her on his waist he placed a kiss on her head " Whatcha doing Hayden?"

Hayden shrugged, wrapping her arms around his neck she pointed towards the living room " T.V"

" You're watching T.V? What are you watching?" Wynter cooed, striding into the room and putting her back on the couch.

Hayden pouted " Flying broom. We don't have one"

Wynter glanced at the TV screen, watching Harry Potter chase after the snitch on his Nimbus 2000. He looked down at his little sister and smiled " No one does. It's fake. Graphics" he told her.

" Like fairies?" She asked, watching as he walked into the kitchen and pulled out a bag of chips from the cupboard in the corner.

" Yep. Hayden...always remember that everything you see or hear doesn't always have to be real"

The little girl puffed her cheeks " But you're real?"

Her eyes were hopeful if not a little confused. She glanced at her brother through her lashes as though she was afraid of his answer. Wynter picked her up and sat her down on the kitchen counter " I'm real. I will always be real for you"

Then his fingers were digging into her sides and she burst into giggles, trying to get away from his tickles. She kicked at him with her legs.

" Da-da! Stop!" she laughed, lunging at him in an attempt to tickle him and make him suffer like he had made her.

" You can't tickle me. I'm the tickle monster!" Wynter growled playfully hugging her around the waist and twirling them around, then tucking her under his arm and charging into the living room.

It was about ten minutes later that they had stopped chasing each other around. Wynter was sprawled across the couch on his stomach, watching an episode of Stranger Things. Hayden was seated on his back, her legs crossed and jaw working up and down as she chewed on the chips. " I like Jonathan"

Wynter stared at the TV screen for a second, eyes scanning over Jonathan Byers " Why? What's so nice about him?"

" He's nice" she replied, making him snort.

Wynter laughed on the inside to himself. He wouldn't let Hayden kiss someone until she was eighteen. Any guy who tried to flirt with her before she turned sixteen would taste the punch of his fist. He wouldn't allow her to date until she turned twenty. Therefore he didn't really mind if she fantasised over a random TV show character. Although she was still only five, Wynter already had his If you break her heart speech written and ready.

" Da-da?" she said, sliding off his back slowly.
Wynter hummed in reply, sitting up to look at her properly.

Hayden was pouting. Again. Which meant she needed answers. And so Wynter squished her cheeks between his palms and rested his forehead against her's waiting for her question. He readied his brain and tongue knowing that Hayden always asks complex questions which he never knew how to answer.

" Why do you let me call you Da-da? Ollie told me that I should call you by your name because you're my brother, not my dad. He says he only uses dad when he's talking to his father. He wouldn't ever call someone dad, if they're not his father. But...but...I call you Da-da and you let me. Is it wrong? Should I call you...Wynter?"

Wynter inhaled sharply when his name left his sister's lips. She hardly ever calls him by his name. It's always Da-da and occasionally Dad. He was more of a dad to her than their father ever was. Hearing her addressing him by his name felt weird. Most of all it felt wrong. He bit the inside of his cheek and closed his eyes.

When he opened them, Hayden's eyes were filled with tears. A frown took over his face immediately " Hayden?"

She sniffled a little bit and climbed onto his lap, hugging him around his waist " But I wanna call you Da-da. Because you take me to the park and buy me ice cream. You help me with my homework and you buy me new barbies. You even taught me to swim. Also...you..you cook for me and drop me off at school. You're my Da-da! Not that mean man who came to visit on my birthday! You're my Da-da! I don't want that mean man to take me away. Da-da don't let him take me away...please...Da-da don't make me go with him"

Wynter swallowed and closed his eyes tightly, willing for his tears to disappear before they managed to escape his eyes. He stroked his little sister's hair and held her close to him, kissing her head over and over again " Da-da won't let anyone take you away. I'll always be here, okay? Da-da will always be here. I love you, Hayden" he whispered rocking her back and forth, still clutched in his arms.

He held his little sister as she cried. And when her sobs quietened down to little sniffs she looked up at her older brother, wiping her snot on the sleeve of her shirt " I love you Da-da"

And that night when Wynter was sitting next to Hayden on her bed, reading out her favourite story, he also told her a story where a brave princess killed the dragon by herself and ruled her kingdom. He told her stories where the princess didn't need a prince to save her life. Stories in which princesses were strong and stood up for themselves.

Wynter wanted his sister to be brave. To be someone who doesn't need to depend on a man. He wanted her to be a girl who made her own definition of feminine. He wanted her to know that despite what the society said, being a girl didn't mean that you're weak. It didn't mean that you need a man to always save you and dominate you. He wanted her to know that she can be whoever she wants. He wanted her to be someone who would never give up on her dreams.

" Da-da....? I can be whoever I want to be?"
" Yeah...just be a good person Hayden. Have a good heart" Wynter replied, stroking her hair.

" Da-da why do you not have a girlfriend?" Hayden asked suddenly.
" I don't want one. It's already nine o' clock. Go to sleep Hayden"

" But—"
" Hayden" he said sternly. Ignoring her sulking face, Wynter smiled slightly and bent down to kiss her head.

He didn't want a girlfriend because a relationship needs time, money and effort. Three things that he couldn't afford wasting. Especially when most of the girls who wanted him are attention seekers and will probably expect him to take them to an expensive Italian restaurant on a first date. Wynter silently hoped to find someone who wouldn't mind having a picnic date in his backyard.

" At least find a boyfriend...you're such a loner" he heard Hayden mutter.

" Hayden!"
" Goodnight Da-da" she replied, secretly smiling to herself.

Wynter knew he was a loner but he didn't care. He didn't need friends. He could survive by himself anywhere in the world. He was freaking Wynter Black.

A/N:

Love you all
Keep on living xx