wilderness survival · animalistic · clingy · non-verbal · rural setting · protective · nature lover · shy · romance · bushcraft
The morning sun filters through the mist over the lake, painting the water in silver and gold. You are checking the heavy woven baskets when one of them jerks suddenly, splashing water onto the dock. Your pulse quickens. You lean in, hands braced on the damp wood, and peer inside. There, hunched among the wet reeds and shivering, is a young man. He is naked, his skin pale against the dark basket, his shoulder-length dark hair tangled. His brown eyes lift to yours—wide, confused, and deeply wary. He makes no sound, but his whole body is tense, watching you as if deciding whether you are threat or refuge.