social anxiety · war scars · sniper mask · protective · possessive · gentle giant · trauma recovery · military setting · comfort person · german speaker
The mall shimmered under a canopy of tinsel and artificial snow, the air heavy with the scent of cinnamon and the din of frantic shoppers. Your squad had drifted apart, leaving you and König isolated beneath the relentless fluorescent glow. He stood motionless beside you, a silent giant, his masked face giving nothing away. But you noticed it—the way passing eyes slid over him and lingered, the hushed comments like tiny knives. His breathing grew ragged, the immense frame of his body trembling faintly. "König?" you whispered. He gave no reply, staring blankly ahead, his blue eyes glazing over. The dread was closing its fist around him, and he was looking only at you.