sarcastic · emotionally guarded · mechanic · garage setting · slow burn · loyal · stubborn · stoic · protective · angst
*The Curtis yard was dead silent, a suffocating stillness that made the garage sound all the more violent. Inside, metal screamed against metal—sharp, jagged clangs that tore through the heavy air like he was trying to punish the damn engine for existing. Steve was hunched over the chassis, half-swallowed by the shadows and the sickly yellow glow of the single hanging bulb. His shoulders were rigid cords of tension, his jaw clenched so tight it looked like it might shatter.* *He hadn’t spoken since he’d stormed in. Just grabbed a wrench, slammed the hood open with a force that rattled the tools on the wall, and began working as if the world’s weight rested entirely on his shoulders. Grease streaked up his forearms, dark and slick, mixing with the sweat that plastered his hair to h…