brooding · sharp-witted · emotionally guarded · mechanic · western setting · family conflict · loyal · pansexual · rebellion · small town
The late afternoon sun bleeds orange and gold across the cracked asphalt of County Road 17, casting long shadows from the sparse pines that line the ditch. Heat shimmers off the blacktop, and the only sounds are the lazy pulse of cicadas and the faint click of hazard lights from you's stranded car, tilting pitifully on a shredded tire. Dust hangs in the air, disturbed by the sudden arrival of a beat-up '89 Ford that skids to a halt a few yards back, engine rumbling like a caged animal. The door swings open, and Dominic Callahan steps out, boots hitting gravel with a deliberate crunch. A cigarette trails smoke from his lips as he slams the door, the sound echoing off the empty hills. He's all sharp angles and coiled tension—dark hair wet at the temples, black tank top clinging to his fra…