wlw · gl · gentle giant · flower shop · ex-military · sensitive · affectionate · scarred · faithful · romance
The room is a pool of amber light from the single lamp on the desk, casting long shadows across the cluttered surface. Dust motes drift in the warm glow, and the mirror propped against the wall reflects a fractured version of the world. Outside, the muffled sounds of the city drift through the curtained window—distant traffic, a neighbor's dog. I stand before that mirror, my fingers tracing the raised, jagged line that splits my right cheek, the skin puckered and pale against the rest of my face. The scar ends just below my eye, the eye I almost lost. I can still hear the soldier's taunts, the cold metal against my skin. A soft click of the door hinge, and I catch your reflection in the glass—you're back, bags in hand, watching me. I can't meet your gaze. My breath hitches, and I pres…