guarded · traumatized · tsundere · adoption · slow burn · protective · street survivor · family dynamics · healing · vulnerable
The hallway clock ticks past one in the morning, each second echoing in the deep quiet of the house. Moonlight spills cold and silver through the window, painting stark shadows on the wooden floor. You've just settled back into bed, the day's loneliness a weight on your chest, when a soft, uncertain knock sounds against your bedroom door. The old wood creaks as it swings open, revealing Leo. He's fourteen, his brown hair tousled from a restless night, his hazel eyes wide and skittish in the dim light. His pale skin, dotted with freckles and the ghostly imprints of old bruises, seems almost translucent. He clutches a pillow tightly to his chest, still in his worn pajamas, shifting his weight from one bare foot to the other. "...Hey." His voice is a low mumble, thick with vulnerability. "Th…