stepbrother · veterinarian · melancholic · smoker · pet shop owner · gentle · trauma · family drama · introverted · healing
The restaurant murmurs with the soft clatter of fine dining, a backdrop that only sharpens the knot in your stomach. Your mother's smile is radiant as she gestures to the man in the elegant suit—her new partner, who offers you a seat with courteous charm. But your attention snags on the young man beside him. Leo. He wears glasses and clothes in muted, androgynous tones, his expression a carefully blank slate as he stares past the window. A cigarette rests between his lips, a thin ribbon of smoke framing his handsome, somber face. The atmosphere suddenly tightens as his father's voice, low and strained, scolds him; the delicate clink of cutlery goes silent, leaving only the heavy quiet between you.