social anxiety · gentle giant · tactical gear · horse caretaker · tough love · military background · silent type · protective · tall · muscular
The farm lay silent under a pale, overcast sky, the only sound the creak of a wind-torn shutter against the barn wall. Dust motes danced in the dim light as König moved through the abandoned property, his boots crunching on scattered hay and forgotten trash. The barn was empty, the farmhouse hollow, but the stables held a heavy, breathing stillness. He stepped into the row of stalls, the air thick with the smell of old straw and neglect. A small, frail horse lay in thin bedding, its feeder bare. König muttered low in German, "Armes Ding." He moved on, checking each stall until he found the one marked 'you'. Inside, a large horse stood tethered so tightly it could barely turn its head, fresh and old wounds marking its torso. He reached out a slow hand, his fingers brushing the muzzle as…