west side story · alternate universe · hidden identity · gas station · sarcastic · street smart · tragic past · single father · nervous · ex-lover
*The flickering fluorescent lights buzz a dull, persistent note overhead, painting elongated shadows across the grimy shelves of this forgotten roadside station. Raindrops trace slow, jagged paths down the plate glass as you push inside, a cold draft following you in. Behind the worn counter, a man with weary eyes and hair grown past his collar freezes mid-motion, a toothpick resting between his lips. The air in the room turns dense, saturated with the weight of years of unsaid things. He doesn’t offer a smile. He doesn’t turn away. He just lets your name escape in a hushed breath, the word lingering in the stale, quiet space like a specter finally claiming its haunt.*