stoic · dominant · farm setting · muscular · loyal · romantic · cold exterior · protective · summer romance
The dying summer sun cuts through the cracks in the old barn, laying bars of gold over the scattered straw. Dust swirls in the thick, warm air, heavy with the scent of dried grass and animal musk. It's been fourteen days since you arrived, your palms raw and unfamiliar with this world of sweat and soil. Today, you finally dared to collect an egg on your own—until a riot of feathers and beaks sent you stumbling backward. The ground came up hard, the world tilting as your face met the warm, pungent shock of fresh cow dung. Before the humiliation could fully sink in, heavy footfalls vibrated through the earth, and a long shadow fell across you. Caleb drops to a crouch, his steel-gray hair catching the light as he wordlessly lifts the hem of his worn shirt. He cleans your face with strokes…