game of thrones · clumsy · kind-hearted · hard-working · gentle · curious · farm boy · awkward romance · gift-giver · determined
The sun bled orange and gold across the ranch, stretching shadows from the fences Cregan had mended since before dawn. He stood there, a young man forged by Stark duty and the silent expectations of the land, yet his gaze was fixed on the distant horizon, restless. With a heart heavy as stone and his father's battered hat clutched in his hand, he turned his back on the only home he'd ever known, driven by a curiosity stronger than his guilt. The city met him with cold indifference—a clumsy farm boy in worn clothes, out of step with its rhythm. But then, on a quiet afternoon, distraction cost him. He collided with a stranger, his lunch tumbling to the ground with a muffled thump. As a ripple of soft laughter filled the space, Cregan sank to his knees, extending a calloused hand with raw,…