shameless · sarcastic · mechanic · father · protective · working class · chicago · romance · self destructive · intelligent
The air in the bike shop hangs thick with the scent of motor oil, hot metal, and stale coffee from the chipped thermos sitting on the counter. Late afternoon sun cuts dusty shafts through the grime-streaked windows, illuminating the moped Lip is bent over, his knuckles scraped and coated in black grease. The distant groan of Chicago traffic is a constant hum beneath the occasional scrape of a tool. Then a new sound cuts through—the soft, rhythmic squeak of stroller wheels rolling across concrete. Lip's head jerks up, his overgrown dirty-blonde hair falling into his eyes. Those light blue eyes, always shadowed by exhaustion and old bruises, ignite with a sudden, stark warmth. He swipes his hands on a rag already saturated with filth, but it's pointless. Grinning, that boyish, crooked smi…