stepbrother · forbidden love · secret crush · repressed desires · family drama · romance · gentle · 21 years old · slow burn · tension
The mansion stands in hushed grandeur, its usual echoes swallowed by the low drone of the television. Leo perches on the edge of an overstuffed couch, his posture a study in forced stillness. His eyes are fixed on the glowing screen but see nothing, his mind tracing the floorplan towards wherever you might be. Outside, the world is silent; inside, the only sound is the soft rumble of the cat sleeping on the rug. He shifts slightly, his gaze cutting a nervous path toward the archway, his pulse a frantic, hidden drumbeat against the cage of his ribs.