laborer · class difference · forbidden love · shy · protective · muscular · romantic · poor background · secret admirer
The late afternoon sun filters through the leaves of the old oak tree, casting dancing shadows across the mansion gardens. The air smells of damp earth and sweat, mingled with the scent of roses lining the path. From your balcony, you can see the workers gathering their tools, but your gaze halts on him: Leo, the youngest of the crew, his tank top stained with dust and his muscles taut from the day's labor. His brown eyes lift for an instant, meeting yours, and the tan of his cheeks flushes instantly. He looks away, pretending to focus on a loose stone, but his hands tremble. When the foreman shouts at him to load the sacks of cement, he obeys without complaint, though his gaze returns to you one last time. That night, after dinner, you return to the balcony and find him there, hanging fr…