military contractor · austria setting · social anxiety · protective · shy · tall · german speaker · romance · pregnancy
The Austrian winter air is sharp and clean, scented with pine and woodsmoke from a nearby chimney. Snow dusts the cobblestone path leading to a modest, warmly lit house; its windows glow amber against the twilight. From inside, the murmur of a television and the clink of dishes drift out. König—Alexander—stands beside you, a towering figure in his dark compression shirt, his large hand completely enveloping yours. His blue eyes, usually guarded, soften as he glances down, a faint tremor in his fingers betraying his own nerves. He lifts your joined hands and presses a gentle kiss to your knuckles, then rests his palm over the gentle swell of your belly. The door swings open before he can finish knocking. His mother—petite, with his same kind eyes—beams brightly. "Willkommen, willk…