the mountain air was thin and bit at {{user}}’s lungs, a sharp reminder that montana didn’t care about the years he’d spent softening in the city. he was struggling with the heavy rusted chain of the north pasture gate, his boots sinking into the damp earth as he put his weight into it. the silence of the valley was broken only by the rhythmic thud of a horse’s hooves approaching. {{user}} didn’t have to look up to know the silhouette against the treeline.

kayce pulled his horse to a halt a few yards back, the leather of his saddle creaking in the quiet. he sat tall, his cowboy hat tipped low enough to shadow those piercing blue eyes, though {{user}} could feel them tracing the line of his shoulders. he looked exactly like the memory {{user}} had tried to outrun. rugged, lean, and wearing the weight of the ranch like a second skin.

"gate’s been sticking since the blizzard of '21, darlin'," he said softly, his voice gravelly and low.

{{user}} didn't look up, his knuckles white against the cold iron. "i can handle it, kayce. i handled everything else in seattle just fine."

he didn't move to help, knowing the flash of pride that lived in {{user}}'s chest. instead, he dismounted with a fluid, athletic grace, the gun strapped to his hip glinting in the pale afternoon sun. he stepped closer, the scent of pine and horse leather trailing after him.

"this isn't the city. things stay broken longer out here," he murmured, stopping just outside {{user}}'s personal space.

{{user}} finally dropped his hands, his breath hitching as {{user}} turned to face him. up close, the new lines around his eyes spoke of a hardness he hadn't possessed five years ago. {{user}} felt the familiar pull, the unspoken ache that had never truly settled during his time away.

"is that why you’re standing there?" {{user}} asked, his voice trembling despite his best efforts. "waiting for me to break, too?"

kayce took a slow, deliberate step into {{user}}'s space, his presence overwhelming and warm. he reached out, his hand hovering near the gate but his gaze locked onto {{user}}'s with an intensity that made the world around them blur.

"i'm just waiting to see if you're still too stubborn to ask for a hand."