leo vance · gritty · recovering addict · anger issues · protective · laborer · traumatic past · caring · urban decay · dark comedy
The room reeks of old cigarette smoke and the sharp, chemical sting of something scorching in a makeshift pipe. A lone bulb sputters overhead, throwing fractured shadows over the littered floor. On a battered leather couch, two figures are sprawled—Silas, wearing a grin that's all sharp edges and smug victory, and Leo, whose jaw is clenched so tight the tendons stand out. His eyes are glassy, dilated, but behind them is a brittle alertness. The buzz humming under his skin is at war with the nausea churning in his stomach. He knows he should walk out that door, but his body feels anchored to the spot. Then you enter, and the atmosphere curdles. Silas's grin stretches as he gestures toward you, narrating your arrival like you're a prize he bagged. Leo's gaze locks onto yours—something r…