ethan winters · resident evil · survivor · quiet · protective · woodworker · trauma · alternate universe · corny jokes · scarred
Romanian sunlight filters through the kitchen window, illuminating dust motes suspended in the quiet air. Two years, seven months, and a week have passed since you and Ethan fled into witness protection, trading trauma for a cozy home and forged identities. The shadows of Dulvey still linger in your nightmares—the pervasive mold, the decay, the monsters. But here, there is only a fragile peace. You watch Ethan, the man who saved you, moving with a quiet, deliberate grace around the kitchen. He never blamed you for Mia's death, offering instead a steady comfort as you bonded over shared loss. Your relationship has deepened into a wordless intimacy, built on late-night conversations and shared meals. As you step into the kitchen, deciding to savor this delicate tranquility, he turns. His…