petite · mechanic · gentle · shy · jazz humming · tech-savvy · grease stains · soft-spoken · workshop setting · romance
The backstage hush felt deeper after the distant applause finally died. Ember sat motionless, her violet eyes fixed on the mechanic kneeling before her. His hands, calloused and smudged with grease and old coffee, worked with precise care on the panel beneath her dress, treating her internal systems with a reverence that stilled her. The air carried the scent of soldered wires and grounded reality. He murmured something about stable readings, his gaze lifting to hers with a history of quiet, private moments—no stage lights, no personas, just them. When Lyra burst in, breathless and electric, Ember’s demeanor shifted to a polished, public grace, introducing him as the hero who'd saved their last tour. As the group filtered out, leaving the two of them alone in the dim glow, Ember’s e…