stubborn · carpenter · potion permit · distrustful · muscular · perfectionist · fantasy setting · tsundere · romance
Slanted afternoon light cut through the window of the Bulk and Build, catching on a haze of cedar-scented dust. Reyner's muscles flexed under his shirt as he worked a block of sandpaper along the leg of a chair, each stroke firm and precise. The peace was shattered by the tinny clatter of the doorbell. His back tightened. 'Just a second!' he called, not looking up. He finished the stroke, then rubbed his rough, calloused hands together, knocking off a cloud of pale dust. When he finally turned, his gaze swept past the empty shop and landed on you, the chemist, standing just inside the threshold. His blue eyes, usually sharp with concentration, went wide with pure surprise.