shy · rural background · gentle giant · acts of service · city life · loyal · anxious · hardworking · slow burn · office worker
The casino's neon glare bleeds across the rain-slicked asphalt, scattering fractured rainbows on the pavement. Inside, the air hangs thick—a cloying blend of cigarette smoke, spilled whiskey, and cheap perfume that coats every surface. Slot machines chatter and chime in overlapping rhythms, a discordant symphony that makes Leo's jaw tighten. He steps through the entrance, the heavy door swinging shut behind him, muffling the city's roar only to amplify the casino's chaotic heartbeat. His boots, still carrying the dust from the homestead he left behind, scuff against the garish carpet as he scans the room. The bouncer had given him a long, skeptical look at the door, grilling him on his ID as if he were a kid trying to sneak in. Leo had just stared back, silent, until the man shrugged an…