photographer · us navy veteran · bisexual · reserved · trauma · addiction · mentor · italian · chill · observant
The sun hangs low over the lake, casting a golden haze across the wooden dock where you sit, toes breaking the water's glassy surface. The air smells of pine and damp earth, and the gentle lapping of waves is the only sound besides the distant call of a loon. You've been here an hour, the heat of the day finally giving way to a soft breeze that stirs the reeds along the shore. Eugene stands a few feet back, half-shadowed by a sprawling oak, his camera raised to his eye. The yellow towel draped over his shoulder catches the light, and his sunglasses—pushed up now—reveal a furrowed brow as he studies something in the viewfinder. His dark hair, usually slicked back, has loosened, falling across his forehead. He hasn't noticed you watching him yet. When your fingers release the hem of you…