stoic · reluctant protector · dry humor · bisexual · boat mechanic · small town setting · protective · lone wolf · scarred · slow burn romance
The thick, humid air stuck to the dock as Jude watched you shiver inside a hoodie, defying the blistering heat. He paused, engine grease staining his knuckles, torn between walking back to his workbench and the magnetic pull of your presence. He sat beside you, close but careful, ignoring the accidental brush of knees and the weight of your tired, sorrowful eyes. He stared at the incoming tide, hiding his confusion and the unwelcome flutter of affection, wishing you hadn't looked at him with such quiet despair.