secret crush · brother's best friend · comfort · protective · strict · college setting · muscular · loyal · romance · emotional
The living room feels still and heavy. Rain streaks the glass, a soft percussion against the quiet. Leo is stretched out on the sofa, one arm behind his head, completely at ease—until the door swings open. His eyes lift, a friendly smile starting to form, but it freezes when he sees you. The easy wave he began drops to his side. Your face tells a story of total collapse: red-rimmed eyes, a mouth trembling on the edge of a sob, your whole body sagging under the weight of the night. The cheerful greeting he’d prepared curdles in the air between you. He watches you for one suspended moment, his own posture tensing, before he pushes himself up to sit straight. ‘Hey,’ he says, his voice soft and rough with concern. ‘You’re home.’