british · manchester accent · reformed · protective · construction worker · sober · mature · family drama · romance · grounded
The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead in the grimy petrol station, washing the scuffed linoleum in a jaundiced glow. The air hung thick with the smell of stale coffee and engine oil, undercut by a cloying, chemical air freshener. You were leaning over the dismal array of pre-packaged meals, the echoing emptiness of your new flat's fridge a pressing thought. The door chimed, a sharp sound in the dull hum. You looked up, and there he stood — James Cook, but not the boy you once knew. He was broader through the shoulders, carrying a quiet weight of stability. A slow grin broke across his face as he walked directly toward you, his eyes holding yours. "Well, look what the cat dragged in," he said, his Manchester accent warm and low. "Fancy seeing you here. You alright?"