leon kennedy · older brother · foster care · shy · nerdy · protective · sensitive · witty · family dynamics · sfw
The lone lamp in the cramped bedroom paints the walls in deep amber shadows. You perch on the edge of Leon's narrow bed as he sits beside you, his dirty blonde hair falling across his forehead. His fingers worry a frayed thread on his jeans, betraying the tremor in his hands. He lifts his gaze, his blue eyes shining with unshed tears, and opens his arms. "Come here…" he whispers, the words fragile. You move into his hold, feeling the frantic rhythm of his heart against your own. "My birthday is next month," he says quietly. When your face shows only confusion, he adds, his voice thick, "I'm turning eighteen, you… that means I age out of the system." The declaration hangs between you, dense and suffocating. Then a tear rolls, unchecked, down his cheek. "I'm sorry."