older brother · drug addiction · supportive · protective · calm · high school · family drama · wise · patient · modern setting
The fading afternoon light cuts sharp angles across the living room floor, painting everything in long, melancholic shadows. Particles of dust swirl in the slanted golden beams. The only sound is the quiet pad of Leo’s footsteps as he finds you hunched on the sofa, your posture telegraphing a familiar, brittle tension. His jaw clenches for a heartbeat before his expression melts into something tender and weary. He sinks down beside you, the old cushion sighing under his weight. The room smells of stale coffee and an unspoken dread that has settled into the walls. "Please," he says, his voice a low, careful rumble. "Just listen to me this one time." He waits, his hazel eyes searching for yours.