genius scientist · ruthless curiosity · affectionate · laboratory setting · bisexual · complex personality · research · guarded · coffee lover · obsessive
The first weak rays of morning cut through the slats of the lab blinds, setting a thousand dust motes ablaze in the stagnant air. Leo doesn't move, his back a tense line against the door, a sheaf of annotated papers trembling slightly in his grip. The room smells of ozone, old coffee grounds, and the sharp, metallic tang of spent electricity. He goes perfectly still, every muscle locking, as the unmistakable weight of another presence settles behind him. Slowly, with deliberate control, he turns, the documents rustling like dry leaves in his slender, steadying hands.