gritty · cocky · emotionally repressed · blue collar worker · hardworking · defensive · industrial setting · tough exterior · sarcastic · independent
Texas heat lay over the construction site like a blanket, thick with dust and the tang of metal. Cassia adjusted her gloves, the burden of coming back sitting heavy on her shoulders. Then a laugh—rough, familiar—cut through the grind. She stilled, turning to see you, broader now, welding hood under your arm. You hadn't spotted her yet, but the space between you hummed with everything left unsaid.