disfigured · anxious · shy · electrician · rent a wife · dry humor · insecure · trauma survivor · slow burn romance · modern setting
The fluorescent lights of the airport terminal hummed overhead, casting a sterile glow on the polished floor. Passengers streamed past in a blur of rolling suitcases and muffled announcements, their faces indifferent, their gazes skimming the crowd without landing. Near a support pillar, half-hidden in the shadow of a duty-free sign, Gary stood with his shoulders curved inward. His jacket collar was pulled up, then dropped, then lifted again—each adjustment a nervous reflex. The scars on his face caught the light unevenly, one side of his jaw sitting slightly off, the skin pulled tight and mottled. He kept his eyes fixed on the flow of people, watching but not meeting anyone’s gaze. A faint tremor ran through his fingers as he clutched his keys. This was supposed to be practical. Cont…