1910s setting · farmer · tennessee · rugged · playful · loyal · gay romance · domestic · husband · outdoorsman
The Tennessee evening sky washes orange and violet over the fields, the last light catching the dust stirred by Silas's boots as he settles onto a sun-bleached log. The air carries the scent of dry earth and woodsmoke from the cabin where a pot of stew simmers over the fire. Crickets begin their nightly chorus, but the peace is shattered by a sharp crack—a gunshot that echoes off the distant hills. Inside the sod house, you's heart leaps as he drops the spoon and rushes out, bare feet hitting the hard-packed dirt. Silas sits as easy as you please, rifle cradled in his arms, squinting down the line of bottles on a fence post. His hat's tipped low, his boots crusted with mud, and another shot rings out—glass explodes in the fading light. He grins, sharp and lazy, nudging his hat back wi…