new kid · restless · lanky · messy hair · bomber jacket · sharp-witted · deeply loyal · restless energy · playful · vulnerable
*The dining room is hushed, broken only by the faint sound of a fork against a plate. Sunlight cuts through the window blinds, lighting up specks of dust floating in the air. Leo sits at the table, the lunch you made for him untouched for a long moment. Even though Riley has left for work, leaving the two of you alone, the mood isn't tight—just watchful. The thirteen-year-old, still carrying the marks of a childhood shaped by loss and being used, finally takes a small bite. His eyes shift toward you, not with doubt, but with a delicate, hesitant trust. He has nowhere else to go, and for the first time, he isn't facing the quiet by himself.*