Beyond The Fine Line

Chapter XIII - Meeting

The sun dipped below the horizon, leaving a soft afterglow in its wake, painting the sky in muted hues. Shades of amber and rose lingered, casting a warm glow over the imposing concrete structures. The garage stood in front of them, its timeworn exterior absorbing the gentle light of dusk. Win stopped the bike in front of the gate and smirked at a resigned sigh behind him.

"I have a massive stack of case files to deal with, and this feels like a waste of time."

"It's called taking a well-deserved break," Win grinned at him, then skipped towards the door. "I never met someone so dedicated to their job, you know? But I can understand now why you are so good at it. You basically live and breathe it."

"I guess you could say that," he chuckled, reluctantly following him to the garage. "I have somewhere I want to be in a few years, and this is the only way to get there much faster than it usually takes."

Win stopped with his hand inches away from the handle. "What about having a life in the meantime?"

"It depends on what you define as 'having a life'," Jay shrugged, unbothered by his questions but also unwilling to continue.

"Fair enough," he replied, reading the room.

Sometimes, he kept forgetting they had just met, and Jay's life was none of his business. Win was convinced it was because of the comforting sense of familiarity his face gave him. After all, Jay looked almost the same as his best friend. At times, it made him feel like Tay was still safe here, not stuck in a hospital in a coma.

A heaviness settled in his chest as Win pushed open the creaky door to the garage. The sense of helplessness weighed on him, the frustration of being unable to do anything for Tay or even visit him gnawing at his core. In moments like these, the pressing reality of his friend's condition left him feeling powerless, a silent ache that lingered beneath his upbeat exterior.

The garage welcomed them with a well-lit interior, the hum of fluorescent lights overhead casting a clinical brightness that contrasted with the gritty, industrial surroundings. Win habitually moved towards the back and sank into his preferred spot on the larger sofa with a sigh. As worried as he was about Tay, Fort needed him at his best.

Meanwhile, Jay lingered by the door, his eyes instinctively drawn to the scene unfolding before him. Sean, dressed in overalls with one strap nonchalantly hanging on the side, worked on his motorbike. His white sleeveless t-shirt emphasised the play of muscles beneath his skin with each movement. Jay couldn't help but appreciate the casual allure of Sean's work attire, the way it accentuated the contours of his physique. He was definitely in trouble. 'Fuck.'

"Sorry, didn't hear you coming," Sean said suddenly, looking up from his bike.

Win was about to answer when he noticed where Sean's gaze was directed. He leaned back with a packet of crisps, ready to enjoy the show. 'Interesting,' he thought to himself with a sly smile.

"No worries, I was just enjoying the view," Jay stated with a cheeky grin, his tone straddling the line between playfulness and flirtation.

Sean knew he should get annoyed, pissed to the point he would want to throw something at him, but nothing like that happened. He wasn't sure what he felt, but it wasn't bad.

His eyebrow shot up questioningly. "Do I look like one of your girlfriends?" he quipped back at him, fighting off amusement creeping into his voice.

"Definitely not."

He rolled his eyes and shook his head in mock exasperation. "If you are done admiring my handsome self, can you pass me the engine oil?"

Jay glanced towards the shelf, but figuring out which bottle could contain the engine oil was impossible. Not having any other options, he folded his arms across his chest and looked down at crouching by the bike man. "Do I look like your maid?"