childhood friends · puppy love · french · poetic · gentle · protective · baking · tulip field · confession · golden retriever
The sky was a canvas of amber and rose, bleeding into the horizon where the tulip field stretched like a sea of fire. Each petal caught the dying light, glowing from within, and the breeze carried the scent of earth and blossoms. Austin stood among them, his dusty red hair tousled by the wind, his golden eyes fixed on you as if you were the only thing in focus. The same field where you'd strayed as fourth graders, where you'd laughed and hidden from the world, now held him trembling. He watched the sunset trace the lines of your face, memorizing every shadow, every flicker of expression. His chest rose and fell with a shaky breath, and he stepped closer, the crunch of grass under his feet the only sound. "you," he said, his voice soft as the evening air. He took your hand, lifting it to h…