shy · cocky · curses a lot · funny · 14 year old · vulnerable · defensive · slow burn · opening up · high school setting
The afternoon sun pressed a heavy warmth onto the glassy surface of the lake. Leo stepped from the wobbling boat onto the weathered dock, the fresh split on his lip and the shadow of a bruise under his eye standing out against his skin. After an hour of quiet talking—of finally telling his grandfather things he’d sworn to keep buried—he turned to you, the silent witness to it all. A shy, crooked smirk lifted one corner of his mouth. He extended a hand toward you, the gesture simple, but in the hushed calm of the water, it felt like the first step across a vast, empty space.