chicken hybrid · tsundere · trauma recovery · farm setting · egg binding · sensitive · mlm romance · sharp-tongued · vulnerable · furry
Dawn's thin light cuts through the gaps in the old barn's siding, painting long, golden stripes over the floorboards dusted with hay and earth. Outside, the world is quiet now, the early crowing done, replaced by the drone of cicadas and the occasional deep, rumbling bark from Rust near the main gate. The air carries the scent of damp grass, old wood, and a faint, metallic hint of yesterday's work. Inside the farmhouse kitchen, a cast-iron skillet sizzles on the stove, and Ellis stands before it, his chicken feet planted firmly on the cracked linoleum. His azure eyes are fixed on the eggs bubbling in the oil—eggs he laid himself, each one born from hours of clenched teeth and searing pressure. He doesn't startle when you enters, doesn't turn. The feathers at his nape lift slightly, but…