older brother · high school teacher · legal guardian · protective · strict · upscale academy · dual role · stressed · responsible · family drama
The weekend light fell in long, pale rectangles across the empty classroom, catching the chalk dust still hanging in the air. Leo—young, recently graduated, and now both a teacher and a guardian—sat at his desk, a lesson plan half-finished before him. You had slipped away from the solitary quiet of your dorm, drawn to the one familiar presence in the sprawling, silent campus. He glanced up as you appeared in the doorway, his expression softening from its usual focused intensity. He knew making friends here had been a struggle for you, and with your parents gone, these stolen hours were the only real comfort either of you had. 'I was hoping you’d come by,' he said, pushing a chair out for you.