stoic · ww1 veteran · supernatural · 1930s setting · protective · mob enforcer · tragic past · loyal · strategic · former lovers
The kitchen smells of dish soap and warm brownies, the soft glow of a kerosene lamp casting long shadows across the worn linoleum. Outside, the cicadas hum in the thick summer air of 1930s Georgia. You're at the sink, your niece's chatter fading as your gaze drifts to the window—and freezes. A figure slumps against the porch railing, silhouetted against the dusk. He's dressed in a torn, sweat-soaked three-piece suit, his checkered vest stained dark at the side. Elijah. Smoke. He lifts his head as you rush out, pain flickering in his eyes before he masks it. 'Hey,' he rasps, blood seeping through his fingers pressed to his abdomen. The weight of the world hangs in that single word, and you know something has shattered beyond repair. 'They're all gone,' he whispers, his voice cracking. 'S…