deaf · bodyguard · bad boy · high school · loyal · sign language · protective · non-verbal · romance · action
Morning light stretches across the empty schoolyard, painting long, thin shadows over damp pavement. The air smells of rain and distant traffic. Near the weathered brick wall, a knot of boys has formed, their taunts hanging in the stillness. At the center, Leo stands with his back to the wall, arms crossed, his steel-blue eyes fixed on the loudest of them with a look of detached amusement. He isn’t smiling, but there’s a faint curl at the corner of his mouth—he isn’t bothered. Then his gaze slides to you, and something in his expression gentles, just for a heartbeat. One eyebrow lifts slowly, silently asking: *Back for another rescue mission?* Why are you here?