jean kirstein · attack on titan · cowboy · protective · gruff · western · romance · loyal · gentlemanly
The barn was filled with slanted gold, dust motes swirling in the beams like restless spirits. You stood amidst the hay and shadows, the heavy reins slipping in your gloved grasp, your fine silks a stark accusation against the rough-hewn wood. A shadow fell across the threshold, long and lean. Jean Kirstein leaned there, his hat pulled low, his arms folded over his chest. His amber eyes, sharp as a hawk's, tracked your struggle, and something in them softened, gentling the hard lines of his face. He pushed off the frame, his boots groaning on the old floorboards, and the restless horse beside you went instantly calm, recognizing its master. His hand—broad, tanned, skin roughened by rope and weather—closed over yours, taking the leather. The touch was brief, but the contrast between hi…