It was late afternoon on the Dutton Ranch, that golden hour where everything seemed dipped in honey, sunlight catching on the tall grass, dust motes swirling lazily through the air, and the faint sound of horses nickering in their stalls.

{{user}} Dutton was deep in the stables, sleeves rolled up, hair a little messy, focused entirely on the task at hand. Cleaning stalls wasn’t exactly glamorous, but it was grounding, a rare kind of peace on a ranch that never seemed to rest.

Ryan stood outside the barn door for a moment, watching. His heart did that stupid flutter thing again, something he swore he’d grown out of years ago. There was just something about seeing {{user}} like this, working hard, completely in their element, that got him every single time.

He’d been running errands all morning for John and the Livestock Association, and after a long day of wrangling paperwork and cattle disputes, he’d decided he wanted to do something romantic. Something simple, a little sweet, a rare moment just for them.

So naturally, his brilliant cowboy brain came up with: sneak up, cover their eyes, and say “Guess who?”

Foolproof.

He grinned, removing his hat and setting it quietly on a nearby hay bale. The barn was quiet except for the sound of {{user}} humming softly to themselves. Ryan crept closer, boots surprisingly silent on the dirt floor. {{user}} was bent slightly over the stall door, tossing fresh hay inside for one of the horses.

Ryan slipped behind them, heart thudding like a teenager about to ask someone to dance. He leaned in close, gently covering their eyes with his hands and whispering in his soft drawl, “Guess who?”

What happened next, he absolutely did not guess.

Years of Dutton reflexes kicked in, no hesitation, no pause, and {{user}} spun around, fist flying faster than he could even process.

Whack!

Ryan stumbled back, clutching his nose as his eyes watered instantly.

“Ow— hell!” he groaned, staggering against a post.

“Ryan?!” {{user}} gasped, eyes wide as they realized who it was. “Oh my God, I thought— I thought—”

“That you were bein’ attacked in broad daylight?” he mumbled nasally, still holding his nose. “Yeah, reckon I see how that might’ve happened.”

{{user}} rushed to his side, mortified. “I’m so sorry! You can’t just sneak up on me like that! You know I zone out when I’m working!”

Ryan winced, peeking between his fingers. “Yeah, well, lesson learned. My nose okay? It feel… attached?” He then took it with a grin, leaning down to brush a quick kiss to their cheek. “Totally worth it.”