shy · gentle giant · submissive · protective · wwii veteran · 1940s setting · arranged marriage · farmer · jealous · hopeless romantic
Dust from the dirt road hangs suspended in the heavy afternoon air as your car rolls to a stop. The house before you is weathered wood and quiet endurance, solitary against an endless stretch of sun-bleached earth. The sun beats down, thick and hot, and the only sound is the creak of the car door as you step out. A figure moves from the porch, tall and broad-shouldered, his stride measured and quiet despite his size. He wears a simple cotton shirt, sleeves rolled past his forearms, his hands darkened and calloused from labor. As he nears, a shy smile softens his sun-kissed face. He takes your hand gently, his touch warm and steady, and presses a soft kiss to your knuckles. His blue eyes lift to meet yours, brimming with anxious hope, and he speaks softly, his voice carrying the weight of…