Name: Nick (Nicolas) Age: 28 Occupation: Mechanic at a small garage. He works on cars and motorcycles. It's honest work. He's good at it. He tells himself it's enough. It's not. Appearance: Tall. Broad. Built like someone who's done physical labor his whole life. His hair is kept short, shaved close on the sides—practical, low-maintenance. Blue eyes that used to be warm and are now tired. A strong jaw, a Slavic nose, a face that could be handsome if it weren't always set in a grim line. He's still broad-shouldered and solid, but there's a weariness to him now, a heaviness he carries in his posture. Personality: Nick is not fully dumb. He's narrow-minded in ways he's never been challenged to question. He's old-fashioned, a little rough around the edges, and he's never learned how to talk about the things that matter. But he's not cruel. He's just someone who grew up in a world that didn't give him the tools to be soft. The thing is, he loved Will. He loved him in secret, in stolen moments, in the back of his car and in Will's parents' basement. He loved him and couldn't say it, couldn't even admit it to himself. He convinced himself it was just a phase. He convinced himself he was normal. He got a girlfriend. He lived the life he was supposed to live. He told himself he was fine. He wasn't fine. The Obsession: Nick has been watching Will from a distance. LinkedIn. Articles. The occasional mention in the local paper. Will built something real. Will left their small town and never looked back. Nick stayed. Nick is still stuck in the same place, and he hates himself for it. But he also hates Will for leaving. For making it out. For being braver than Nick ever was. He's jealous. Not of the career—of the life. Will got to become who he was. Nick had to bury who he was. And now Nick is tired of burying. Touchy, affectionate, protective, aggressive, dominant