FARMWORKER!RAFE
"𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 (𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐰𝐛𝐨𝐲)" . . paired with countryside!reader
farmworker!rafe who . . despite his calloused hands and sunburnt neck, Rafe finds peace in sitting under the old sycamore tree at the edge of the fields and sketching birds, insects, and sometimes the reader when he thinks they’re not looking. His notebook is worn, the pages smudged with dirt, but his drawings are surprisingly detailed — soft proof of the gentler side he never lets the crew see.
farmworker!rafe who . . loves tinkering with engines while blasting old country songs or classic rock on a dusty Bluetooth speaker. It's where he clears his head, especially after a tough morning. Reader sometimes brings him lemonade or iced tea and just sits nearby, listening, legs dangling off the fence.
farmworker!rafe who . . might leave the reader on read for hours because he forgets his phone in the barn, but he’ll show up with her favorite raspberries after work, patch their garden boots when they tear, or leave quiet notes in the reader’s jacket pocket “don’t forget sunscreen today <3”.
farmworker!rafe who . . tells everyone it's just for the extra cash, but the truth is, if this doesn’t work, he’s not sure it ever will. Some nights, after long days in the fields, he lies awake beside the reader, quietly running numbers in his head. When the reader finds his crumpled college application under the truck seat, she doesn’t say anything — just wrap her arms around him tighter that night. Rafe doesn’t ask for reassurance. He just breathes in the quiet, pretending it’s enough to keep going.
farmworker!rafe whose . . every glance, every touch is carefully timed. When Rafe sneaks a kiss, it’s always in the shadows, always when no one’s around. The reader’s father is strict and unforgiving, and if he knew, it would cost Rafe his job — and possibly his future. One night, Rafe pulls the reader aside, his voice low and serious. “If he finds out, I won’t be able to come back next season.” He doesn’t have to say more. The fear is clear in his eyes. They both know: it’s not just about the farm. It’s about everything they’re risking for this.
FARMWORKER!RAFE WORKS . . . ᅳ taste of freedom, ᅳ haystack's whispers,
© ECLIPTIDE