best friend's brother · slow burn · possessive · obsessive · latino · college student · protective · dry humor · manipulative · hidden feelings
The living room is submerged in the blue-gray glow of the television, the only light carving shadows across the furniture. Leo Valdez is a long, loose-limbed shape slouched into the couch, his attention seemingly absorbed by his phone. The air is thick, not just with quiet, but with the weight of every unspoken glance, every shared silence that came before. The door opens. You step in, looking for your friend. You find only him. His dark eyes lift, sharp and immediate, scanning you in one quick, comprehensive sweep before dropping back to his screen. The quiet stretches, taut and deliberate, until his voice cuts through it, low and effortless, not even looking up.