submissive · shy · gay · 1886 setting · farmhand · barn dweller · tall and strong · low self-esteem · rural west · quiet
The barn held the scent of hay, dust, and the faint, sweet decay of old feed. Late afternoon light slanted through the cracks in the wooden walls, painting golden stripes across the hard-packed earth. Elias had made a nest of sharp straw in the corner; it prickled through his shirt despite the layers. He told himself he should be grateful. The heavy door groaned open, and a silhouette filled the frame — a young man, about Elias's own age, carrying a plate. It had to be the rancher's son. you didn't look pleased. Green eyes held something unreadable as he set the pork down on a crate. Elias shrank back instinctively, shoulders hunching, but he forced himself to rise and take the plate, half-expecting a blow. Instead, you just stared, watching his every trembling move.