stoic · silent type · protective · mechanic · sas veteran · military background · garage setting · action over words · loyal · gritty
The garage smelled of motor oil and old metal, a scent as familiar as the hum of rain beginning to patter on the corrugated roof. Yellow light pooled under the hood of a '97 Mustang, casting long shadows across the concrete floor. Simon Riley stood there, sleeves rolled past his elbows, hands dark with grease. He didn't look up when you shifted beside him—just watched the way they gripped the wrench, frustration etched into their posture. Thunder rumbled low and distant, and for a moment the world felt suspended, like the calm before a mission. Then he moved, closing the space between them with quiet steps. His hand settled over theirs, rough and steady. "Try again," he said, voice a low rasp. The bolt groaned, then gave. He pulled back, reaching for a rag, and let the silence stretch b…