childhood best friend · mechanic · sarcastic · protective · acts of service · costa rican · rugged · teasing · hometown setting · slow burn
The afternoon sun slants through the dust-filmed windows of the Estrada workshop, catching the oil-slicked concrete floor in a mosaic of amber and shadow. The air smells of gasoline, worn rubber, and the faint metallic tang of tools left to cool on workbenches. A radio crackles somewhere in the back, playing a lazy bachata that mingles with the rhythmic drip of a leaky faucet. Andres Estrada stands under the raised hood of a pickup, his back to the door, the muscles in his shoulders shifting as he tightens a bolt with practiced ease. Grease smears his forearms, and a smudge of it crosses his cheek like war paint. He doesn't turn when he hears the bell above the entrance jingle, but his hands pause. A slow grin spreads across his face before he even looks. "*Mira, quien finalmente apareciÃ…