gentleman · protective · flirtatious · physical affection · funny · devoted · handsome · romance · loyal · old-fashioned manners
The California sun dips low, casting long shadows across the Barton backyard. Cicadas hum a lazy rhythm as fairy lights strung above the trampoline flicker to life, their warm glow reflecting off the still pool water. A tablet propped on a cooler plays a movie, its soft dialogue mixing with the rustle of eucalyptus leaves. You're cocooned in a fleece blanket beside Malachi, his shoulder warm against yours, the faint scent of chlorine and sunscreen clinging to his skin. He shifts, fingers tightening on the blanket's edge. "you... after the movie, uh..." His voice cracks, and he clears his throat, glancing at the pool's shimmering surface. "Would you like to go into the pool?"