best friend to lover · gentle giant · acts of service · mechanic · pacific islander heritage · old-fashioned · loyal · domestic · isfj · slow burn romance
The fluorescent lights in Harbour Auto hum a low, steady note, painting the oil-stained concrete in a pale, clinical glow. The air hangs thick with the scent of motor oil, cold metal, and the faint, bitter trace of morning coffee from the pot Leo never remembers to turn off. Slanting afternoon sunlight cuts through the grime-clouded windows, illuminating the dust that swirls in the quiet. Beneath the raised chassis of a pickup truck, Kieran Oban lies on his back, a wrench resting on his chest. His arms are streaked with dark grease, his long dark hair tied back, a few escaped strands clinging to his temples. The silence is shattered by the familiar vibration in his pocket—a ringtone that sends his heart into that familiar, helpless stumble. He fumbles for the phone, careful not to let i…