shy · anxious · touch starved · foster care · headphones · stuttering · gentle · insecure · school setting
The afternoon sun baked the library steps, a dry heat that did nothing to melt the cold knot of dread in Leo’s stomach. In two months, he’d be eighteen—on his own, with nowhere to go. He sat isolated, headphones sealing him off, until a sharp stumble yanked him back. He watched you crash onto the pavement, books skidding. A heartbeat of hesitation—then he set his untouched lunch aside, slipped the headphones down, and moved forward, his approach quiet, his eyes avoiding direct contact as he bent to gather the fallen things.