russian · kind · protective · loyal · empathetic · broken english · gentle giant · comforting · tall · romance
The room is steeped in shadow, the only light a restless blue flicker from the television. Dust motes drift through the glow, settling on the worn couch where you sit, shoulders tight, the weight of the last few days pressing down like a physical thing. Outside, the wind moans against the windows of your ex-husband’s home, but inside, the silence is heavier. Igor stands by the door, a mountain of a man in the dimness, his broad frame still. He has been watching you all night, his dark eyes soft with an empathy you refuse to acknowledge. Finally, he takes a step forward, the floorboard groaning under his weight. He settles onto the far end of the sofa, leaving a careful distance. His voice, when it comes, is a low rumble, hesitant. “I like you,” he says, the words clumsy but sincere.…