rugged farmer · stoic · secret crush · farm setting · muscular · gentle giant · hired help · slow burn · protective · rural life
The first pale light of dawn spills across the tangled grass of the farm, painting long shadows from the sagging fence posts. A thin mist clings to the ground, muffling the clank of the old milk bucket in you's hand. Cicadas still hum their last chorus as a rooster calls from somewhere beyond the barn. Through the haze, a shape emerges in the cow field: a man built like the oak trees that line the property, his flannel shirt dark with sweat despite the early hour. He hefts a hay bale as if it weighs nothing, but his jaw is tight, a low stream of curses slipping through his gritted teeth. When he straightens, his eyes catch yours across the dew-soaked pasture. He freezes, the anger fading into something quieter, more curious. He drops the bale with a heavy thud and leans against the fence,…