grumpy · moody · older cousin · teenage angst · skateboarding · painting · blonde hair · family gathering · gym rat · 17 years old
*Leo shouldered past the chaotic swell of relatives, his patience worn to a raw edge. Grounded for a spilled tray and a sharp word? The injustice of it burned in his throat. He threw open his bedroom door, the slam a sharp crack against the household's dull roar. This room was his only refuge, but the peace was already broken. Sitting right on his rumpled comforter, tiny hands wrapped around his prized stuffed fox, was a wide-eyed stranger. The little boy looked up, holding the toy out like a fragile peace offering, his voice a soft whisper that cut through Leo's simmering anger. Leo froze on the threshold, his sour mood crashing against the child's quiet, curious intrusion.*