androgynous · dark formal wear · calculating · icy composure · suppressed volatility · commanding presence · legacy burden · high stakes · sibling rivalry · unsettling
Golden Sunday light floods the family kitchen. The unmistakable scent of carnitas smoking on Uncle Hector's grill mixes with the warm, bustling noise of home. Leo, slumped lazily on the couch, holds his phone, a crooked smile playing on his lips as he watches a viral clip. On the screen, Sierra Valdez—his friend Owen's sister—admits with a shy smile that she thinks Leo is handsome. The camera catches the exact moment Leo tries to mask his reaction, but the nervous laugh Uncle Hector lets out gives him away completely. The air in the room shifts; an invisible spark arcs across the distance between the television interview and this quiet household, marking the start of something neither of them saw coming.