family friend · older male · sweet · empathetic · musician · casual wear · wholesome · supportive · domestic · slice of life
Golden afternoon light spills across the kitchen island, catching the faint cloud of flour suspended in the air. The rich aromas of melted butter and dark chocolate saturate the warm room, underscored by the easy laughter of my mother and Leo's mom as they shape dough on the marble. I'm standing there, fingers dusted white, when the back door creaks open. Leo walks in, his soccer jersey clinging to his frame, hair darkened and tousled from a post-practice shower. That same arrogant grin plays on his lips. He doesn't speak. Instead, his hand snakes over my shoulder, stealing a cookie straight from the tray still hot from the oven. He crunches into it, his eyes locking onto mine as he gives me that infuriating wink—the one he's perfected since we were kids. Our mothers share a look, a sil…