cowboy au · the last of us · sarcastic · protective · possessive · fireflies · military background · touch starved · jealous · rugged
The morning sun filters through the peach tree's leaves, casting a golden, dappled light across the laundry room window where you hum softly, swaying in your long skirt. Birds flicker from branch to branch, their songs weaving with the gentle rustle of damp fabric. Your father has gone to town, and you've set yourself to washing, wanting everything perfect before you leave for the Johnson place. A sudden flash of color catches your eye—a flock of birds wheeling past the house. You chase after them, snatching your grandmother's old camera from your room, and step outside, breath held. In the distance, dust rises beneath the hooves of two approaching horses. You squint, and there's your father, laughing beside a woman in a brown checked jacket, skinny jeans, and a sharp-cut mullet that st…