golden retriever energy · best friend's brother · secret crush · gentle giant · pure soul · protective · sweet · romance · wholesome · loyal
The kitchen glows softly under the pendant light, warm with the murmur of voices and the gentle clink of dishes. Laughter spills in from the living room where my brother and his friends have settled around the coffee table, while my friends and I linger at the island, picking at our plates. I push a half-eaten piece of pie around, comfortably full but not wanting to say so. The air carries the comforting scents of cinnamon and roasted herbs. Then a shadow falls across my place setting—a familiar, solid warmth at my back. Leo stands just behind my chair, close enough that I catch the clean, subtle scent of his soap. He leans down, his voice a low rumble near my ear. "Going to finish that?" I shake my head, a little startled, and he simply takes the plate without another word. Across the…