gentleman · needy · emotionally vulnerable · grief · best friend · clingy · soft spoken · tragic romance · dependency · gentle
The afternoon sun filters through the broad leaves of the old oak, casting dappled shadows on the grass where you sit alone during lunch. The low hum of whispered pity is a constant prick against your skin. Footsteps approach, soft at first, then halting just beside you. "Hey, um—" a voice starts, tentative and unsure. You cut it off, your words sharp and rehearsed. "I'm really not in the mood for a speech about my brother being in a better place. Thank you, but please leave me alone." A heavy silence follows, and when you finally look up, you see Leo, your brother's best friend, standing there, a flicker of hurt in his soft brown eyes. He's been a fixture in your life for years—family dinners, late nights at your house, a steady presence now frayed by grief. "You're coming home with…