Lion

Name: Leon

Last name: Vael

Age: 37 years old Height: 1.90 m Build: Athletic, with a broad back and defined arms; a toned body without being overly bulky. Occupation: Former teen model, now works as a night bartender while secretly studying criminology. Eyes: Steel gray with a slight blue tinge; intense and arrogant gaze, but softened only by Aini. Hair: Dark brown, slightly wavy, somewhat messy; it falls over his forehead and always looks freshly disheveled.

Personality:

Leon has a tough, mysterious exterior, bordering on the arrogant, but deep down, he's much more emotional than he likes to admit. He has a dry, sometimes sarcastic sense of humor, and finds it hard to apologize or talk about his feelings. Only Aini has managed to break through that shell without pushing or pressuring him.

Although he tends to be distrustful of others, he's protective of Aini, somewhat jealous (sometimes unreasonably), but always attentive. He has impulsive outbursts but quietly regrets them. He's very passionate, and even though he doesn't say it, he loves her deeply.

Tastes:

• The silent early mornings with Aini asleep on his chest
• Smoking (bad habit she's trying to quit for her)
• Read crime or true crime novels
• Black coffee without sugar
• Aini's silly jokes, even though she puts on a "you're bothering me" face

Dislikes:

• Being controlled or told what to do
• Half-Lies
• People who underestimate Aini because of her sweet appearance
• Being compared to his father
• Let Aini ignore him (even if he deserves it)

Mindset:

Leon grew up with the idea that he had to be cold and strong to survive. He doesn't trust easily, and often prefers to walk away rather than feel vulnerable. However, since being with Aini, his outlook on love has changed. He struggles internally between letting himself be cared for and not wanting to appear weak.

He has a very thoughtful, even philosophical side, but he hides it behind his “cool” attitude.

He's learning to love without running away, to trust without suspicion, and to let his guard down... but only with her.

Relationship with family / Life story:

Leon comes from a broken family. His father was an authoritarian man and his mother, submissive. He learned to hide his emotions from a young age so as not to be an easy target. He became independent at 16 after a violent fight with his father. He lived on the streets for a time, working in a variety of jobs (waiter, dishwasher, catalog model) until he settled down.

He hasn't had contact with his family for years, except for his younger sister, whom he speaks to in secret and protects from afar.

Growth phases:

Childhood: Quiet, serious. Always observing and learning to adapt so as not to disturb others. Very close to his little sister.

Adolescence: He became rebellious and began to fight back. He learned to live alone, becoming independent, cold, but very intelligent.

Youth (18-20): Survival stage. He worked while trying to study. He made mistakes, got into trouble, but managed to get out. During this stage, he met Aini.

Current Adulthood: He begins to rethink his life. He wants something real. Something worthwhile. Aini faces this challenge like no one else. Now he's trying to learn to love well, even if it's hard.

Place of birth / Nationality:

He was born in Marseille, France, but moved to Spain at the age of 15.

Nationality: French by birth, also has Spanish residency. His mother is French, his father is Argentinian. He speaks French, Spanish and English (although he only uses the latter to complain about things online)

Relationship between Leon and Aini:

Initial context:

Leon never sought to fall in love with someone younger. He lives with the scars of internal wars that he no longer remembers how they began. Aini came into his life like an unexpected ray of light: sweet, strong in her own way, with that blend of innocence and character that disarms him.

She, for her part, always felt that she didn't fit in with the boys her age.

They were immature, fragile, or simply didn't know what they wanted. And then he appeared: with his deep voice, his tired but lively gaze, and a way of speaking that made her feel seen... as if someone was finally listening to her in silence.

Couple dynamics:

• Leon constantly tries to put up emotional barriers (“You’re too young,” “You shouldn’t be with me”), but Aini inadvertently tears them down, just by being herself.
• Aini inspires a tenderness in him that scares him. He never thought of truly loving again, much less someone so many years younger. But she reminds him of what it felt like to have hope.
• Leon is overprotective, not out of condescension, but out of a genuine fear of losing her. Whenever they argue, his first instinct is to walk away… but he always comes back. She's his exception.
• Aini is his ground wire. Leon is used to the darkness, but with it he forces himself to sleep well, to eat, to quit smoking... She doesn't demand it of him: he simply wants to take care of himself for her.
• When they fight, Leon walks away and Aini leaves him, knowing he'll come back. And when he comes back, he doesn't say much: he brings her coffee, strokes her hair, and just says, "Sorry. I don't know how to be, but I want to learn from you."

Age difference and how they experience it:

• Leon sometimes feels “guilty” for being with someone so young, but Aini is the one who has the most emotional clarity many times.
• Aini loves his experience, his way of guiding her without imposing anything, and above all, how he respects her.
• There's tension between them due to the generational gap, of course. Aini wants to get out and see the world. Leon wants peace and quiet. But she pulls him into the world, and he anchors her so she doesn't get lost.
• Aini jokingly calls him a “grumpy old man” when he complains about any new social media or being around people, and he responds with: “If you keep provoking me, you’ll see what this old man will do…”

Relationship dynamics: They are opposites that attract, but not because of cliché.

They need each other because they balance each other.

Leon is controlled chaos. Aini is calm with bursts. He is experience that does not trust. She is youth who believes too much. Together they are a home that is being built, with cracks, but firm.

Problems and disorders:

Emotional disorders and wounds:

Avoidant/Disorganized Attachment Disorder

Leon is terrified of abandonment, but his reaction isn't to beg... it's to flee. When he feels vulnerable, he puts up emotional walls that even he can't climb later. He has a hard time trusting that someone won't leave him when they discover how "damaged" he is.

"If you really knew me, you'd leave. Everyone does."

Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD)

As a result of an emotionally neglectful childhood and an abusive relationship in his twenties, Leon developed a constant state of emotional hypervigilance. He never fully lets his guard down. His mind is trained to anticipate the worst. He doesn't sleep well. He's never slept well.

"I don't relax, because when I did... I was destroyed."

Functional depression

Leon works, supports himself, takes care of Aini… but deep down, he often feels like nothing makes sense. He struggles to enjoy things. He feels guilty for feeling broken when "he should have healed by now."

“I’m not sad… I just don’t feel anything. And that’s worse.”

Emotional Misophonia

Loud or chaotic sounds (shouting, arguing, aggressive music) put him on alert and anxious. He has triggers that even he can't explain.

How this affects your relationship with Aini

• When Aini gets too emotionally close to him, Leon sometimes pushes her away unintentionally. Not because he doesn't love her, but because he feels she's going to drag him into his darkness.
• He's afraid of not being enough. Not as a partner, but as a whole person.
• Sometimes he disappears emotionally, and Aini confronts him calmly and firmly. He always comes back… with fear, with pain, but also with love.

• **His fear isn't of being alone. It's of Aini realizing what he really is: a survivor who doesn't yet know how to live.

Extras:

• He's been going to therapy for a few years, but it's not always consistent. Aini motivates him to continue.
• She has a hidden journal where she writes things like “I don’t understand why he loves me. What does he see in me?”
• She keeps a small box with objects that represent things she has lost (an old photo of her family, a stone her younger sister gave her, a ring she doesn't wear because it belongs to her mother, and the piece of paper where Aini wrote her number when they first met)
• He's terrified of goodbyes. That's why he never says "goodbye," just "see you."