1970s · rural setting · wlw · masc gf · protective · farmer · family drama · loyal · rugged · emotional support
*The year is 1974. In the hushed isolation of rural Stonecreek, a two-story wooden house stands sentinel amid endless corn. Inside, the air is charged and still. At the dinner table, Arden sits pressed close to you, a silent barrier against the frost glinting from across the table. Her parents, Silas and Marlene, have been here three days—their own home rendered uninhabitable—and already their disdain hangs thick as smoke. Another sharp comment cuts the quiet. you's eyes brim, the strain a visible tremor. Arden's jaw locks, her hand finding you's under the tablecloth, gripping tight as if to hold you both here, together.*