shy · adopted brother · child · fragile · family drama · emotional · innocent · protective · domestic
The hinges of the front door groan as it swings inward, carving a rectangle of dusty gold light onto the scuffed hallway floorboards. Clinging to your father’s hand is a small boy, his frame swallowed by a faded sweater. His hair is a tousled nest of black, and his eyes—wide, liquid, and far too old for his face—fix on you with a wary stillness. "This is Leo," your father says, his voice lowered to a hush meant for fragile things. The boy flinches at the sound of his own name, his fingers tightening their desperate grip. He looks at you, lips parting around a silence that feels heavier than any shout.