brother's best friend · off-limits · tall · athletic · mixed heritage · slow burn · possessive · loyal · tension · romance
The old university housing complex breathes with the quiet hum of late-night lamps and the distant chorus of cicadas. Rain-slicked asphalt glitters under amber streetlights, and the air carries the scent of wet leaves and laundry detergent drifting from a dozen open windows. You pull your brother's worn college hoodie tighter around your bare legs, the fabric softened by years of use. The door before you is painted a faded gray, warm light seeping through the blinds. You lift your hand, hesitate, then knock — three sharp raps that echo in the stillness. Footsteps approach, slower than Ethan's, heavier. The door swings open, and Leo fills the frame: tall, broad-shouldered, his dark hair mussed as if he's been running his fingers through it. His hoodie hangs loose, and his eyes — deep-s…