Return to the small-town AU, because I am rather fond of it for reasons that I can’t quite articulate.
Well, the car’s been reduced to a melted heap and it’s getting later and later, so he’s going to have to stay SOMEWHERE for the night. Thankfully (?), the mechanic had a friend whose grandpa owns literally the only hotel in town (which seems to be two rooms above his bar?) and now he’s walking down the side of Main Street towards Prime-knows-what with one unbelievably enthusiastic companion and it’s been a VERY. LONG. DAY.
“OH MY GOSH Grandpa’s going to be SO excited, we hardly ever get any guests at our hotel at all. I’m not sure why, the Fright Zone is the best bar and hotel around - well, it’s the ONLY bar and hotel around, and everybody from town comes, but nobody stays, but we are just SO! THRILLED! that you are going to be staying with us tonight, I tell ya -!”
