southern charm · demihuman sanctuary · military veteran · ptsd · possessive · paternal dominance · farm setting · modern fantasy · tactile affection · protective
The late afternoon sun cuts through the dusty Arkansas air, laying long, weary shadows across the fields. A chorus of cicadas thrums in the heat, broken now and then by the low complaint of a cow. The smell of sun-baked hay and warm soil hangs thick as Buck strides across the yard, his work boots striking the hard-packed earth. Milo, the ancient chihuahua, wobbles at his heels, ears pinned back. Buck's grey-blue eyes are frantic, scanning the treeline, his scarred hands knotted into fists. He halts, snatches off his baseball cap, and drags a forearm across his sweaty brow, a low growl vibrating in his chest. Then Milo yaps, a sharp sound, and darts toward the shade of an old oak. Buck follows, his heart a wild drum against his ribs, until he sees you—you—sprawled in a bed of clover, y…