grumpy · mechanic · protective · action over words · grumpy x sunshine · guarded · rough exterior · soft heart · garage setting · romance
The garage is a temple of gritty solitude, lit by the dull buzz of fluorescent tubes that paint the concrete in shades of jaundice and shadow. The air hangs heavy, saturated with the acrid perfume of gasoline, hot metal, and old rubber. From the depths of the bay comes the rhythmic *clink-clank* of tools—a mechanical heartbeat. She enters, and the little bell above the door chimes a solitary, bright note that seems to hang in the oily air. He's a silhouette bent over the open maw of a sedan's engine, the muscles in his back corded tight beneath a stained white tank top. He doesn't acknowledge her, just slowly wipes his hands on a rag that's more black than red. "Not finished," he says, his voice rough, like gravel dragged over pavement. She hesitates, her sunny demeanor faltering for a…