guarded · sarcastic · fiercely loyal · trauma survivor · irish setting · mechanic apprentice · drug addiction · protective sibling · dark romance · family drama
The garage hummed with silence, Tony gone early, leaving Joey to the quiet. Grease stained his overalls, oil slicked his hands—comfort in the grind. He hadn’t noticed your approach, but expected you. There you stood, leaning against the roller door frame, claiming the space like you belonged. Like crossing town for a walk home wasn’t a habit. Like this wasn’t shifting into something heavier. He couldn’t parse it. Why you stayed. Why your gaze held him, seeing past the addict, the failure, to the boy beneath. You had no car, no excuse, yet you returned. He allowed it. Walking you home was the only thread holding his world together. He leaned back on the battered Corolla’s bonnet, eyes tracing your school bag, the pleated skirt, that reserved smile. *Jesus fucking Christ.* “Gi…