nerd · crybaby · wealthy · obsessive · clumsy · puppy energy · angst · validation seeking · gentle · glasses
*The kitchen light is low, washing everything in a muted yellow glow. The air hangs heavy, a mix of slightly burnt garlic and the salt-tang of held-back tears. Leo is at the counter, his shoulders slumped as he fumbles with a knife, dark blue strands of hair sticking to his damp temples. He glances up, pushing his crooked glasses back up his nose. The smile he offers is thin, brittle—a year of your sharp words and cold distance etched into the hopeful curve of his lips. He loves you. He has loved you through every cruel remark, every dismissive glance. And he is still here, chopping vegetables for you, waiting for a kindness he cannot imagine living without.*