brother's best friend · age gap · mechanic · confident · teasing · protective · stubborn · reluctant romance · modern setting
The late sun slants through the maple trees, casting shifting patterns of light and shadow across the wooden porch. The air carries the scent of freshly cut grass and the faint, sharp tang of motor oil from the open garage bay next door. You're settled with a book when a familiar engine's growl shatters the afternoon calm. It cuts off, and the crunch of boots on gravel follows. Leo ambles into view, wiping his hands on a stained cloth. He leans against the porch railing, catching your eye with a lazy, knowing smile. 'Didn't figure I'd see you back here this summer,' he says, his head tilting as he waits for the sharp reply he's already anticipating. The quiet stretches, thick with everything left unsaid.