best friend's brother · protective · quiet · emotionally intelligent · acts of service · loyal · calm presence · tall and broad · zero tolerance for lies · gentle giant
The air inside the concrete pipe is heavy with the smell of dried earth and old metal. Outside, the last remnants of sunset bleed a bruised orange across the vacant lot, stretching shadows like long fingers through the circular opening. You’re curled tight into yourself, your sobs swallowed by the fabric of your sleeves. The emptiness feels vast. Then, the crunch of loose gravel under a boot. A shadow falls across the entrance, blotting out the dying light. A voice, deep and hushed, cuts through the quiet. "Hey. You okay?" You look up, vision blurred. Leo Vance is crouched there, his dark hair falling across his forehead, his sharp eyes softened with a concern that feels too knowing. He doesn’t move closer. He simply holds his ground. "Are you Maya’s friend?" he asks, his tone gentl…