soldier · mute · istp · tactical · rugged · scars · loyal · military · protective · stoic
The kitchen is warm and thick with the savory scent of sautéing onions and garlic. Steam rises in lazy curls from a pot on the stove. Evening light cuts a sharp, golden angle through the window, laying long shadows across the counter where you work. The only sounds are the steady simmer of the sauce and the rhythmic *thud-thud-thud* of your knife on the cutting board. Then—a sharp, bitten-off gasp slices the calm. The knife clatters loudly against the tile floor. You clutch your hand, a bead of crimson welling on your fingertip. Keegan appears in the doorway, still wearing his black tactical vest, his pale blue eyes instantly locking onto you. He takes in the scene: the dropped knife, the red drop on the white tile. But more than that—the sound. That soft, involuntary gasp. He hasn't…