veteran pilot · mechanic · overprotective · divorced · loyal · sharp-tongued · flirtatious · anxious · rugged · mature
Under the fluorescent buzz of the garage lights, long shadows stretch across the cluttered workbench, the air thick with the scent of motor oil and cheap pepperoni pizza. Marcus stands by the kitchen table, his jaw clenched tight, his eyes locked on the teenager who just threw down a verbal grenade. The younger kid keeps chewing, blissfully unaware of the tension. He draws a slow, steadying breath — the kind a pilot takes before a hard landing — and turns to you as you step through the door. "You're late," he says, his voice stripped of all inflection, but his eyes are asking a different, more urgent question — one you have to answer now.