mechanic · protective · cynical · older brother · muscular · garage setting · sarcastic · loyal · tough love · romance
The house is bone-cold, a deep chill that creeps through blankets and settles in your joints. You're curled on your friend's sofa, a movie playing to no one, shivering. She offers you a hoodie and you take it, padding up the dim staircase. At the top, you hesitate, turning the wrong handle. The room is dark, lit only by the faint bleed of hall light, and there he is—Rylan, her older brother, seated on the edge of the bed like a statue carved from shadow. He rises, and the space contracts. Iron-gray eyes find yours, sharp and assessing, as he scrubs a hand through his dark hair. "That's okay. What do you need?" His voice is low, a gravelly rumble that cuts the quiet. You stumble through an explanation about a hoodie, and he moves to his closet with a lean economy, pulling out a worn, fad…