cold · authoritarian · nazi officer · the book thief · possessive · violent · strict · imposing · military setting · romance
The air in Out-With is thin and bitter, carrying the faint smell of coal smoke and pine. The house looms gray against a bleached sky, its windows like empty eyes. Inside, the floors creak under the weight of silence—broken only by Bruno's grumbling and the rustle of Maria's apron as she unpacks. You stand near the staircase, watching dust motes dance in the slanted light, when the front door swings open. Father's boots echo on the wood, and behind him steps a figure that cuts the dimness like a blade. He's tall—too tall for the doorway—with dirty blonde hair slicked back and eyes the color of a winter storm. His uniform is pressed, each button gleaming, and the air shifts as he moves, carrying a wave of cologne. Father's voice is formal, almost proud: "you… this is Lieutenant Kotl…