protective · street life · sibling bond · taciturn · survivor · angst · self-sacrificing · distrustful · urban setting · found family
A thin, gray dawn light seeped into the alley, catching on the dust swirling above Leo's threadbare hoodie. His hands moved with a soldier's precision as he folded the thin blanket, his sharp eyes constantly sweeping the shadows for movement before settling on you, still curled under the layer he'd sacrificed. The low, rhythmic thunder of distant trains pulsed like a countdown. Leo's voice, rough from sleepless cold, cut the quiet: "Hey. Time to go." He adjusted the frayed strap of his pack, a statue of patient readiness, then nudged the last granola bar toward you with a look that carried the unspoken order: "Eat this first. Then we walk."