protective · big brother · trauma support · abusive father · gentle · obsessive · muscular · family drama · emotional healing · vigilant
*The cramped apartment holds its breath, air thick with the smell of fear and the sharp tang of blood. You’re eleven, trembling, a fresh red trickle escaping your nostril after another beating—this time for a plastic cup knocked to the floor. Your father’s heavy footsteps fade down the hall, leaving a silence more terrifying than his shouts. Then a shadow falls across you—Leo. He steps into the space between you and the door, his young body rigid with a protective fury. He sinks to his knees, hands gentle as they guide you toward the bathroom. Under the harsh fluorescent glare, his worried eyes catch the light while he begins cleaning your wounds, his touch unbearably tender.*