If I Stay✔️

88| everything i wanted

A smile brighter than the summer sun was a phrase Callan never understood.

For nineteen whole years — okay that's an exaggeration, he's only known the phrase for roughly two years, Callan was pretty sure the first time he ever heard — no read it, was in one of Killian's many hand written romance novels, which he and Carter had found hidden at the back of the teens closet in the summer of their junior year. It was a very eye opening experience to say the least.

Now, Callan was witnessing that exact phrase first hand and his eyes drank the sight.

It happened so suddenly, one minute he was divulged in a deep, almost animated, conversation with Leo about an upcoming art exhibit the younger boy had exclaimed he was so desperate to see, and then their conversation was long forgotten as the door to the hospital room swung open and Leo's words simply stopped.

Callan had an idea of who'd just entered, but what he was sure about was the fact there was only be one person on the planet capable of making Leo smile like that. And Callan wouldn't — couldn't pull his eyes away from the breath stealing sight to actually see for sure.

Leo's eyes looked more blue than Callan knew them to be, a spark of adoration in them he'd never had the absolute pleasure of seeing before. The apples of his cheeks were flushed a light shade of dusty pink, dimples produced in the left corner of his lips from how wide his smile had grown to be.

It felt like a once in a lifetime thing to see, which broke Callan's heart a little because in a split second of realisation; it dawned on the teen that he never even knew Leo had dimples.

How could he not know?

The longer he stared, the more Callan realised that this moment was and always would be everything he wanted to see.

And in that very second, he wondered if there was a way he could freeze the image in his mind forever; because he didn't think his heart could handle seeing Leo smile if it didn't look like this.

He didn't want the half smile, the smile that didn't light up his eyes in the way this one did. Callan didn't want this moment to ever end, and he knew for a fact Leo didn't either.

One look told him that.

Callan's thoughts behind the reason for his little brother's smile proved to be correct when Emilio barrelled past him at lightening speed. The boy waisted no time as he wrapped himself in Leo's awaiting arms, holding him in one of the tightest embraces Callan had ever seen; as if Em feared that one slip of his arms would have Leo evaporating into thin air.

Normally, Callan would break it up because it was his duty as a big brother to do so, but for once, he really didn't want to. He didn't want anything to ruin Leo's happiness and that's exactly what Emilio was to him; happiness.

Of course, nothing lasts forever in his family, so Callan was unsurprised when both Carter and Grey's voices echoed around him, sadly pulling his eyes away from the two lovestruck teens as his glare fell to them.

"Hands off you nasty little fucker," Carter's voice strangely lacked any and all forms of it's usual conviction, it made Callan wonder if he could see how much of an effect Emilio's presence had on Leo too. He hoped he could.

"Emilio, keep your hands above the waist and to yourself." Grey's tone was similar, tired in a way that suggested his words weren't to be taken so seriously.