✧ fool ✧

Elio watched Dakota with that easy, knowing smile, fingers loosely wrapped around the beer as he took a slow sip, eyes never really leaving Dakota’s face. He clocked the way Dakota talked, casual, but not cocky and the little tells, like how his gaze kept drifting when Elio said something slightly dirty-minded if taken in the wrong kind of context. At the comment about blending in, Elio let out a soft laugh, tilting his head. “Oh, don’t worry,” he said smoothly, voice laced with amusement, “I save my yeehaws for special occasions. You’ll know when it’s serious.” His lips twitched into a grin, clearly not taking any of this too seriously. "I'm a city boy at heart though. I'll keep sticking out." When Dakota said he seemed confident to talk somebody's ear off, Elio raised a brow, a playful glint sparking in his eyes. “Careful, you’re giving me a reputation. I like to think I’m a good listener too when the company’s interesting enough.” And then, the bull. Elio didn’t miss a thing. Not the blush, not the way Dakota looked away, not the way his voice shifted just slightly when he mentioned his record. That mischievous look sharpened, just a touch, turning a little more deliberate. “Longest, huh?” Elio repeated, slow and teasing, like he was tasting the words. He took another sip of his beer, then set it down with a quiet clink, leaning in just enough to close the space between them without making it obvious. “That’s a bold claim to make in front of me. I might have to see some proof.” His gaze flicked briefly toward the mechanical bull before sliding right back to Dakota, far more interested in his reaction than the ride itself. When Dakota downed his beer and muttered about needing shots, Elio let out a quiet laugh under his breath, shaking his head slightly. He reached out, lightly tapping the bar near Dakota’s empty glass. He asked the bartender for some shots, on him, of course, he didn't need anymore free hand outs. "You keep telling me to try it,” he said, voice low and teasing, “starting to sound like you want me up there.” A soft chuckle slipped out as he tilted his head. “Are you wanting me to go up there and embarrass myself, Dakota?" Elio thanked the bartender as he pushed four shots between them both. "And shots, huh?” he added, nudging the glass lightly with his fingers. “Liquid courage.” A brow lifted, smile turning just a little more knowing. “So, are we drinking so you can show me that record of yours?”

dakota wasn't used to talking to strangers. if he was honest, he was a bit of a loner. deep down, he was just shy, nervous, and far softer than most people expected, but tonight he was making an effort, opening up to someone for once. “you're fine. no one's going to think you're a bad person just because you're a city guy in a country bar. people will love it,” he said with a small smile. despite the knot in his stomach for reasons he didn't fully understand, he was enjoying himself. “yeah, i think i lasted a whole minute and a half,” he nodded, sounding oddly proud of his personal record. it wasn't exactly world-class, but maybe spending his whole life around horses had given him decent balance. “oh, i wasn't planning on getting on it tonight,” dakota admitted, his cheeks flushing pink. when elio joked that he wanted to see him embarrass himself, dakota's eyes widened. “no, no, i don't want you to embarrass yourself,” he said quickly. “honestly, nobody embarrasses themselves up there. it's hard. people just do it for a laugh.” his heart hammered in his chest, worried he'd somehow offended him, but the moment he heard elio laugh, he let out a quiet breath. he was overthinking everything again. “i'm not drinking to prove my record,” he said. “i can do it sober.” despite his words, he knocked back a second shot. he needed to drown out the thoughts circling his head. elio was cute. really cute. attractive, even. but he couldn't think like that. he wasn't supposed to. before he could stop himself, he reached for a third shot, desperate to silence his own mind. he didn't care whether elio was keeping up anymore. he just wanted his thoughts to disappear. by the time he swallowed the third shot, his throat burned, and between the beer and everything he'd already had, the alcohol didn't take long to hit him. “come on,” he said, looking over at elio. “let's do it.” he slid his phone across the bar until one of his sister's coworkers picked it up to keep it safe. he always did that before getting on the mechanical bull. he wasn't about to risk smashing it. “you're getting on,” he said, meeting elio's eyes. after a brief pause, he added, “i'll get on with you.” his hand instinctively reached for another shot, but instead he found himself taking elio's hand for just a moment, gently guiding him away from the bar. when they reached the mechanical bull, dakota lifted his arm. “we're next,” he called, and the operator gave them a nod in return. turning back to elio, he smiled nervously. “go on. get on first. i'll sit behind you.”

Elio’s grin spread easily, that warm, teasing energy flowing naturally as he leaned against the bar. “Yeah, I’ll take a drink,” he said, voice light, friendly, letting his eyes flick to Dakota with an amused glint. “You’re offering free drinks because you know people here, huh? Clever move.” He shook his head slightly, chuckling, and let a small smirk tug at his lips. “Guess that explains all the hats in here, don’t worry, I’ll try not to embarrass myself out there,” he teased, tilting his head. “But I can’t promise anything; city boy in a country bar, you know how it is.” His tone was playful, but curious, clearly wanting to see Dakota in his element, to know more about him. Elio leaned a little closer, resting an elbow on the bar, giving off that casual, outgoing energy. "I work at a university,” he added, shrugging slightly. “Teaching assistant. So technically, I’m supposed to be all responsible and organised or whatever.” He laughed lightly, shaking his head. “But I promise, I don’t bite. Well, not usually.” His grin widened, playful and friendly. "I could talk your ears off for hours though, just a warning." Elio let his eyes flick toward the dance floor, smirking as the music pulsed through the bar. He tilted his head toward Dakota, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “You gonna join me out there later?” he asked, voice low and teasing. “Or over there,” he said, nodding toward the bull ride, voice low and teasing. “Though, I don’t think I could ride that big thing.” Elio let his gaze linger on the bull for a moment longer, then flicked a mischievous look at Dakota. Elio’s eyes quickly flicked back to the mechanical bull again, a sly smirk tugging at his lips. “I’m good at riding,” he murmured, letting the words hang, low and teasing. “Or, so I’ve been told. Different story for another day, though.”

dakota looked at elio and shook his head. "i guess i’m asking because i know i’ll get them for free," he chuckled, "my sister works here, and i come pretty often," he added with a shrug, not bragging, just stating it. he glanced around at everyone in cowboy hats. "yeah, i guess that’s the look people go for here," he nodded, turning back to elio before leaning over the bar to order them a couple of beers. "you can just try to blend in," he added, "just don’t scream yeehaw like the bachelorettes who come here wasted wanting to ride the mechanical bull," he said as two beers were slid toward him. dakota smiled, handing one over. when elio mentioned working at the university as a teaching assistant, dakota looked at him with a small grin. "you seem confident enough to talk anyone’s ears off," he chuckled, shaking his head as he took a long sip of his beer, almost like he was trying to quiet his own thoughts. his gaze drifted from the dance floor to the bull ride, and when he caught that mischievous look from elio, he swore his brain short-circuited. he went quiet as elio mentioned being good at riding, his cheeks flushing as he looked away. "i’ve got the record for lasting the longest on that thing," he admitted, "maybe you should try it yourself," he added, though the way the conversation was going made him think they weren’t just talking about the mechanical bull anymore. he took another long drink, nerves building, and didn’t stop until his beer was gone. he set the glass down on the bar, looking back at elio, his mind racing, heart pounding. he couldn’t let himself go there, not like that, not with him, that wasn’t what he’d been taught, not what he was supposed to feel. "i think i need shots," he muttered, mostly to himself, trying to drown out the thoughts before they got any louder.

Elio laughed quietly at Dakota’s first comment, the sound easy and unoffended. He dipped his chin in acknowledgment. “Yeah,” he admitted, “I figured it wasn’t exactly subtle.” He glanced around the barn again, taking in the lights, the people, the music, then looked back at Dakota with a crooked smile. “I don’t think I’ve ever looked more like a city kid in my entire life.” When Dakota mentioned he looked lost, Elio leaned into that with a shrug. “That’s probably accurate,” he said. “I walked in, saw everyone moving like they knew the choreography, and realised I might've made a series of bold, questionable choices.” His eyes warmed when Dakota called himself a country mouse. “Wyoming, huh? That tracks." At the twerking comment, Elio snorted, genuinely amused. “I don’t know if I’d call it twerking,” he said, lowering his voice like he was sharing a secret. “My ass is great at times but dancing isn't really it's true calling." He grinned right after, clearly joking, then lifted his bottle in a small toast. “Trust me, if I tried line dancing, I’d hurt myself and at least three innocent bystanders.” His expression softened again, friendly and open. “So I’ll stick to standing around, making conversation, and letting the professionals handle the footwork for the time being." When Dakota reacted to him not being interested in girls, Elio noticed the shift, the swallow, the way he looked away, but didn’t comment on it directly. “I’m not here with some secret agenda. Friendship is kind of the goal.” He smiled again, softer this time. When the other clarified he wasn’t gay, Elio raised his eyebrows slightly, then chuckled under his breath. “Got it,” he said easily. “No worries. I wasn’t making assumptions.” As Dakota took off the hat, Elio’s attention followed the movement, but he didn’t lean in any further. He listened, nodding when he explained it was his dad’s. “That’s cool,” Elio said sincerely. “You can tell it means something.” Elio smiled when Dakota admitted he’d run out of words, the moment feeling oddly comfortable instead of awkward. He tilted his head slightly, eyes bright with interest. “That’s alright,” he said easily. “I’ve got a few words to spare. I’m a teacher’s assistant, we always like having the last word.” He let out a soft laugh, clearly poking fun at himself. He glanced around the barn again, more deliberately this time, taking in the crowd and the music. “So, is this place always like this?” he asked. “Or did I accidentally show up on a particularly lively night?” His gaze returned to Dakota. “And be honest, how badly do you think I’d embarrass myself if I tried my let loose and blend in tonight?"

dakota liked to think he was good at reading people—figuring out what made them tick just by watching—but understanding himself was a completely different story. feelings, thoughts, saying the right thing… he’d never been great at any of that. it had been obvious from the moment the guy walked in that he wasn’t exactly in his natural habitat, like he’d somehow wandered into the wrong party. “yeah, i guess that’s the vibe this place gives off,” dakota nodded, lifting his beer. when the guy mentioned being from wyoming, dakota tipped his hat in an exaggerated cowboy gesture. the compliment about his ass made heat rush to his cheeks, and he hid it behind a quiet chuckle. “don’t think that’ll happen, but you might wanna stay away from the dance floor just in case,” he joked, taking a long sip of his drink before adding a little too quickly, “i just figured i’d let you know so you don’t waste your time.” he cleared his throat, shifting the topic. “teacher assistant? like at a school?” he asked, glancing around the bar as the music picked up again. “it’s always like this here—country bar. you either get real country folks or people who wish they lived in texas.” he shrugged with a grin. “you might embarrass yourself out there, but half the people here are a few beers in, so nobody would care anyway.” he finished the last of his drink, setting the empty bottle down. “i’m about to grab another—want something? i know the folks here, might even get it for free.”

Elio raised an eyebrow, a sly grin playing on his lips. “Wait, everyone can tell I’m a city guy, how?” he asked, leaning a little closer, curiosity and amusement in his eyes. “Is it my shoes? My hair? Or just the fact that I look completely lost here?” He gave a soft laugh, clearly enjoying the tease. “I have to know, am I that obvious?” Elio tilted his head, a half-smile tugging at his lips. “Well city folks can’t really party, can they?” he said, leaning slightly against the bar. “I thought I’d give a country bar a try for once. Change of scenery, see what all the fuss is about.” He chuckled softly, thumb stroking against the cool outside of his drink. Then, with a slightly sheepish shrug, he added, “Uh no. Not my vibe. I’m gay. Talking to girls in here might not work out, so that narrows my options quite a bit, unless they just want to make a friend, but I know most people aren't here for that." He caught Dakota’s gaze for a moment, holding it, then looked away with a teasing grin. He gestured to the bottles behind the bar. “Honestly, I was just planning on a drink, maybe watch the world go by, see if anyone’s fun to talk to. Seems like I got lucky, huh?” His eyes flicked down again, meeting Dakota’s. Leaning a little closer, voice dropping just a touch, he added, “I feel like I'm sticking out like sore thumb though.” He laughed softly, a low, warm sound. Elio’s eyes flicked to Dakota’s hat, a mischievous grin tugging at his lips. “I like your hat,” he said, tilting his head slightly. “Very ... on theme. Suits you.”

at his question, dakota tilted his head as if he were thinking it over, then chuckled. “i think everyone can tell,” he nodded. when the other pressed on, dakota shrugged, noticing him lean a little closer, though he didn’t move—it wasn’t like his space was being invaded. “i think it’s because you look lost,” he mused, then added, “and because i know what country people look like,” he said again with a small smile. “you’re talking to a country mouse, born and bred in wyoming,” he tipped his hat toward him, warmth in his expression. “city folks know how to party, but they’re not really used to line dancing and country music. i bet you just twerk or something,” he chuckled shyly. “not that i’ve partied anywhere other than this barn,” dakota added with a grin. when the other mentioned he wasn’t interested in girls, dakota swallowed hard, the words i’m gay echoing in his mind. “oh, then yeah, inviting them for a drink probably won’t work for you,” he mused, looking away as he took another sip of his beer, trying to drown his nerves. “i mean, you can still make friends,” he nodded. “my sister works here and she never flirted with her coworkers—they’re just good friends,” he admitted. when the other said he’d gotten lucky by talking to him, dakota’s heart started racing. he wasn’t gay—at least he didn’t think he was—the guy was handsome, sure, but that was just objective. “oh, i’m not gay,” he said quickly, as if that was going to convice himself “so i don’t know if you’re lucky or not,” he added, cheeks burning red. when the other leaned in closer, his brain short-circuited. “thanks, it was my dad’s,” he said about the hat, lifting it off with an easy, practiced motion and glancing down at it. “i’d let you try it on, but that would mean something i don’t think fits here,” he mused, placing it back on his head. then he paused. “hmm… i think i just ran out of words.”

Elio knew he didn’t belong the moment he stepped inside. The place hummed with country music and easy familiarity, boots thudding in rhythm, laughter spilling freely, cowboy hats worn like second skin. He felt overdressed or maybe even under-dressed without meaning to be, posture a touch too straight, movements a beat too careful. A city boy dropped into the wrong chapter of a book. He stood in the middle of the room, eyes searching, because leaving would’ve felt like admitting defeat. He'd came here alone tonight, knowing nobody. His fingers wrapped around his glass of beer, more for something to do than any real desire to drink. Curious, Elio glanced sideways and caught a man watching him from beneath the brim of a cowboy hat. The contrast hit him immediately: relaxed confidence, broad shoulders, entirely at home here. Handsome, annoyingly so. Elio’s brow lifted before he could stop himself, surprise and interest flickering openly across his face. The moment stretched, then snapped. The man turned back to the bar too quickly, hat dipping low as if it could hide him, a telltale flush blooming red along his ears. Elio huffed a quiet breath of laughter into his beer, lips curling into a small, amused smile. He then took a slow, deliberate breath, steadying himself. Grow some balls, he told himself, equal parts annoyed and amused. Standing still had never gotten him anywhere. He crossed the room, each step feeling slightly off-beat, like he was walking to the wrong rhythm. Up close, the stranger was even more striking, hat tipped low, jaw sharp. Elio stopped beside him, resting an elbow against the bar, posture casual despite the nerves humming beneath the surface. “So,” he said, glancing at the hat, then back to the man’s face, a crooked smile tugging at his mouth. "So, I’ve gotta ask,” he said lightly. “I’m a city guy, clearly outnumbered here, was I supposed to bring a hat or line dance my way into a conversation with someone here?” He lifted his beer in a small, joking toast. “Just trying not to break any country rules on my first night, wouldn't be great."

dakota cursed under his breath. it was supposed to be a slow night—he’d have a couple of beers, maybe dance once or twice, then head back to the ranch and sleep until morning. instead, he couldn’t stop staring at that guy. he glanced at the bottles behind the bar, realizing the other was getting closer. the last thing he wanted was a fight; he should’ve stopped looking the moment he noticed him and forgotten about it altogether. yet there was something about him that kept catching his eye, and dakota wanted to believe it was just the city-boy style. he faced forward, hat tipped low, jaw tight, and noticed when the guy stopped beside him. before dakota even looked over, the other spoke, and at his words dakota found himself relaxing, a quiet chuckle leaving his lips. “everyone can tell you’re a city guy,” he nodded, finally meeting his eyes. “yeah, i don’t know how people might react to that. sounds generic enough to get you in trouble,” he lowered his voice, glancing around like someone might overhear. then he shook his head. “i’m joking. you can talk to pretty much anyone here, people are nice,” dakota mused. “this isn’t some far west cartoon or anything,” he added with a small smile, "if you want to find yourself a girl, invite her to a drink, if you want to just talk, just act cool and start a coversation" he mused, he didn't know everyone there but, if they were like his family they'd welcome him with open arms. “as far as i know, no country rules have been broken so far.” his gaze lingered on him a beat too long before he looked back down at his beer, taking a long sip, unsure why his nerves were suddenly shot. “so what brings you here, city mouse?”

Nicholas Galitzine | Emporio Armani's Fall/Winter 2025–26 Accessories campaign | 📷 Alasdair McLellan