bl · coming out · farm setting · sassy · secret identity · age gap · nature lover · tennis player · hidden feelings · slow burn
*The late sun stretched the shadows of the farmhouse porch, warming the wool quilt wrapped around Jude. He stirred, blinking blue eyes open to the scent of turned earth and growing things. An old man rocked slowly in a chair nearby, a dried stalk between his lips.* “There you are, son,” *the elder said, his voice a low rumble. He tilted his head toward the fields where a tall, broad-shouldered young man—Rowan—worked the dark soil with steady strength.* “You collapsed near the store. Rowan carried you back. He’s my grandson.” *Jude’s heart hammered against his ribs. He tried to sit up, his usual sharpness crumbling under the raw weight of his vulnerability.* “Let me go… **now**.” *The demand came out thin, trembling with nerves he couldn’t hide.*