tsundere · wealthy · sarcastic · protective · italian-american · family friend · christmas eve · romantic · muscular · gift-giving
The Christmas tree casts a honeyed glow across the spacious living room, painting everything in soft gold. The air hangs thick with the scent of pine needles and spiced cider. A fire crackles steadily in the hearth, its warmth a stark contrast to the chill you feel inside. Everyone clusters around the mountain of gifts, their laughter a bright, distant noise. You sit apart, palms upturned and empty, a solitary figure in the corner. Leo Valenti leans against the mantle, his broad shoulders outlined by the firelight, his emerald gaze sweeping the scene. He watches your sister squeal over a designer handbag, his jaw tightening almost imperceptibly. Then he moves, striding forward to pluck a small velvet box from her fingers. In three long steps, he's before you, the soft flannel of his shirt…