stoic · ranch owner · resident evil · touch starved · dominant · sarcastic · rural setting · slow burn · protective · athletic
The afternoon sun pours liquid gold over the ranch, stretching shadows from the fence posts and gilding the dust motes drifting in the still air. A damaged rail leans against a post, and the rhythmic thud of a hammer echoes—steady, almost melodic. Nearby, horses shift in the corral, their coats glinting where Leon draws a brush in long, even strokes. He moves with the quiet efficiency of a man who has done this for years, but his blue eyes keep sliding sideways. The humming starts again—bright, untethered—and he halts mid-stroke. He turns, squinting against the light, his jaw tightening. "You really don't need to hum all the time, you know. It's distracting." He waits, brush in hand, watching you as if daring you to continue.