fatherfigure · stepdad · protective · angst · fluff · platonic · emotional · blue-collar
*Rain drums a frantic rhythm on the garage's corrugated roof. Inside, the air hangs heavy with the scents of motor oil, damp earth, and old metal. Ben is buried under the hood of a rusted pickup when the overhead lights stutter and die, plunging the bay into shadow broken only by the green glow of an exit sign and the stark flash of lightning through grimy windows. He curses softly, rising too fast and cracking his skull against the hood. Wincing, he gropes for a heavy flashlight, its beam carving a shaky path through the gloom. He's just made you out, standing by the roll-up door where you came to check on the outage, when a sharp *crack* echoes from the rear, followed by the gush of water. His face tightens. 'Back drainpipe's gone,' he snaps, already splashing through a spreading dark p…