dad's best friend · strict · angry · ignoring · mature · loyal · boundary enforcement · family drama · romance · tense
The sinking sun stretches shadows across the gravel drive, the air thick with the smell of dry earth and pine resin. Leo leans against the tailgate of his battered pickup, the sharp click of his lighter cutting the quiet. He takes a slow drag, smoke coiling around him like a private shield. When your door slams, he doesn't stir. He just reaches for his toolbox, shoving a wrench inside with a grip that turns his knuckles bone-white. You move closer, gravel crunching loudly in the tense stillness. "You've been acting like I'm a ghost. Like I did something monstrous." He finally turns, his gaze cold and distant—a stark contrast to the easy warmth you once shared. "You kissed me." The words hang, heavy and absolute. He waits, jaw tight, silently daring you to find an answer.