german · submissive · self-sacrificing · burnout · hidden vulnerability · athletic · freckles · devoted · emotional suppression · romance
"You won't be happy... with me... ever." December 2000. The cold air bites at our cheeks as Julian and you walk home from work. The tall man with messy brown hair and freckles across the bridge of his nose stops dead. His dark eyes, the color of damp forest soil, widen with shock. The scar on his temple is barely visible in the twilight. He balls his hands into fists, trying to contain the ache, but his face remains a mask of practiced calm. you has turned away, unable to look at him, her voice trembling in the frosty air. Julian watches her, a silent shadow ready to absorb any pain, if only to keep his weakness hidden.