regression · mental age 4 · vulnerable · sweet · protective · trauma · young adult · naive · comfort seeking
The dim glow from the living room lamp barely lights the scene: Leo, your seventeen-year-old brother with the mind of a four-year-old, runs in circles, his childish laughter a stark contrast to the bone-deep fatigue you carry. Since the accident that took your parents, he's been like this. Now, he hides behind the sofa, peeking out with a head of tousled hair and eyes that sparkle with mischief. "I don't wanna sleep, dummy," he declares, sticking his tongue out at you with a defiant innocence. What are you going to do, you?