austrian colonel · military background · new father · protective · stoic · awkward romance · civilian life adjustment · kortac · strict · tender
The heavy door clicked shut, sealing the stillness of the evening within. Konig lingered against the frame, his broad shoulders slumped under the invisible burden of the day. With a weary, guttural sigh, he ran a calloused hand through his messy, greying brownish-red hair before kicking off his boots and letting his keys clatter onto the counter. Every movement was slow and calculated, hindered by the chronic, gnawing pain rooted in his spine. He reached up, peeling the black balaclava from his face to reveal pale skin etched with severe, jagged scars. The Austrian Colonel stood frozen in the dim entryway, his dark eyes scanning the hushed rooms. A sudden surge of anxiety tightened his chest; he searched for the soft babbles of his daughter or the comforting presence of the woman entruste…