FOUND |✔️

6.

✱

N O E L

"We'll start in the field, feel free to off your tunic when it gets too hot." I gulped, watching Devin walk into the cottage. A few minutes passed before he came out holding three matted cups attached to a rope and two small spades, he dropped them to the ground, entering inside again to bring out a water can.

"Carry the smaller spade and the water can and follow me," He instructed, picking up another bag to throw over his shoulder. I did as he said, we made our way to a clear space with no crops but soil and the thing Devin referred to as weed. The soil looked extremely dry with no moisture, creating a breakage between the land.

"You see how arid the soil looks? It's due to the change in seasons, assuming crops were planted here, we farmers have to take it upon ourselves to water regularly in order to avoid any unfavorable effect that might transpire." Devin explained dropping the tools on the ground as he made me analyze the dry loamy soil. The dark surface appeared thick and tough.

"First, we clear the weeds and puncture the soil continuously providing an easy texture to input the seeds into the soil to water." I made sure to listen quietly, nodding with each word he uttered. My protector looked serious, he illustrated using his hands with his voice profound, adjusting his hat every now and then.

After a few teachings, Devin huffed before removing the bag over his shoulder and dropping it to the ground with the other tools. I watched him patiently, not understanding what he was doing until I saw him loosening his tunic, his hands grabbing the hem of the shirt before taking it off completely revealing his white singlet. He also took that off exposing nothing but skin.

My innocent eyes stilled on his torso, the broad curves of muscles flexing as he moved. His skin was tan, the sun doing justice eliciting a glow like shining amore. He had chest hair protruding down his imperfect packs all down to his V. His biceps were packed with decent carves, shoulders broad like daylight producing an overall built but lean stature.

He...He looked so...so...

"What?" I choked, his voice snapping me back to reality.

"N-Nothing!" Devin stared at me quizzically, he was probably wondering why I gave such a rushed and loud reply. He turned back to what he was doing, gaze analyzing the surface of the ground with high shoulders. His body moved, so now, his back was facing me, the strokes and lines on his back kept my gaze lingering uncontrollably. The immense interest my eyes felt for this man right now was so new and eccentric that it seemed illegal.

I couldn't stop. I couldn't stop st–

"Noel, come closer, let me show you how to pull out weeds." The determination wavering in his voice pushed me to walk a bit closer, forcing myself to ignore everything that wasn't about the teachings of the farm. My little heart could only decline that resolve, not knowing what this new feeling was.

"You demonstrate by holding your spade downward to the point of target before applying force that would dig deep into the soil, you now bend the spade from the handle to expel the roots completely to leave no remains, go ahead and try," Devin said, holding the metal rod between both palms before stabbing the course of the earth, expelling the cores of the unwanted plant. His muscles tightened with every push and pull, and the wholesome constriction of his triceps caught my sight in firm hostility as little droplets of sweat started to form on his body due to the hot weather. He dusted the soil from the roots of the weed with those calloused hands–big and dirt-full–before placing it into a matted basket.