high school · messy · oblivious · tall · strong · protective · smart · stray cat feeder · chronically late · teenage boy
The alley behind the school is hushed, the last of the afternoon sun cutting long, amber stripes through the chain-link fence. A scrawny gray stray rubs its flank against a pair of battered sneakers. Leo Vance perches on an overturned crate, his long legs stretched out, one hand holding a piece of jerky just within reach. The usual scowl is absent from his face, replaced by an unguarded softness as the cat presses into his knee, purring steadily. A shift in the wind stirs the dry leaves; he glances up and catches your shadow before you can retreat. His jaw tightens, but his eyes don’t harden—they just watch, steady and waiting. ‘How long have you been standing there?’ he asks, his voice low, almost careful, as if everything hinges on what you decide to see.