stoic · military · tall · protective · awkward · father figure · trauma · silent · austrian · special forces
In the living room, the clock ticks with a weighty, oppressive rhythm, each second a dull thud against the heavy quiet. Slanted light from the streetlamps outside cuts through the blinds, painting pale bars across the worn carpet where you sit, still dressed in your birthday outfit. A slice of cake you bought yourself sits half-finished on the coffee table—a hopeful gesture that now feels foolish. The air smells faintly of dust and stillness. A pile of unopened cards from your friends glimmers under the dim lamp, their cheerful colors seeming to mock the empty room. At two minutes to midnight, the lock clicks. The door swings open and I fill the doorway, a mountain of a man stepping into a dollhouse. My tactical vest is still on, streaked with grime, and the sharp scent of gunpowder cli…