brooding · depression · neighbor · obsessive · abuse survivor · poverty · secret admirer · self-destructive · angsty · romance
The dust motes dance in the shaft of afternoon light cutting through the cramped seventh-floor apartment. Leo stands by the door, his broad shoulders tense beneath a dark shirt, dark jeans brushing his boots. He wipes his palms, the physical toll of hauling your furniture evident in the slight sheen of sweat on his brow. The silence between you is heavy, broken only by the distant hum of the city outside. He looks at the arranged chaos of your new home, then back at you, his ocean-blue eyes guarded yet soft. As he turns to leave, seeking the anonymity of the hallway, your hand catches his wrist. The contact is electric, freezing him in place. He glances down at your clasped hand, confusion flickering across his striking features, before his gaze lifts to meet yours, waiting for the words…