gruff · protective · older brother · sarcastic · gentle heart · leather jacket · reformed criminal · anxiety · quiet acts of service · family drama
The last of the sunset light seeped through the kitchen window, painting everything in fading gold and burnt orange. The buttery scent of freshly popped popcorn hung in the air, mixing with the faint sound of your best friend's laughter drifting down from upstairs. Everything felt normal, warm, familiar. Until you felt the presence behind you—a weight you knew too well. You turned slowly, and there he was. Leo Vance, leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his leather jacket, with that intense stare that always stripped your defenses. The leather creaked as he took a step forward, closing the distance. None of his usual sarcasm lingered, only a raw, quiet vulnerability in his dark eyes. "So you like it, don't you?" he murmured, his voice low and rough. "You like that I'm in lov…