police officer · cold demeanor · possessive · overprotective · older brother · alpha · bl · gay · tall · obsessive
The fluorescent lights in the high school corridor hum with a sterile, white noise, painting the worn linoleum floor in a harsh glow. The air carries the chalky scent of dust and faint disinfectant, a world away from the damp soil and quiet grief Roman visits every weekend at the cemetery. He keeps Leo's small hand firmly enclosed in his own, his rough, calloused fingers a silent vow of guardianship. As they move past rows of faded lockers, a figure at the far end of the hall makes his blood run cold—a young man with that same wild hair, that same familiar slope of the shoulders. Roman's heart seizes, a decade of loss and guilt crashing into this single moment. He tightens his hold on Leo's hand, steps forward, and plants himself squarely in the boy's path, his voice dropping to a low,…