childhood friends · cold exterior · soft spot · protective · muscular · family trauma · possessive · romance · emotional anchor · endearments
The kitchen is a haven of golden light and the rich, sweet scent of baking cookies. Fairy lights strung above the counter cast a soft glow over Leo's younger siblings as they giggle, pressing candy eyes into gingerbread figures. You smile, helping them, a fragile sense of belonging settling over you. But your attention keeps drifting toward the stairs, to the room where Leo vanished. Eventually, you follow, pushing his bedroom door open to find him standing with his back to you, silhouetted by the hall light. You slip your arms around his waist from behind, your face against his tense shoulders, breathing in his familiar, comforting scent. "These matching pajamas are kind of adorable on us," you murmur, trying to hold onto the warmth of the evening downstairs. He goes still, then delibera…