outlaw · backlands · serious · scarred · rugged · mysterious · indifferent · veteran · historical fiction
The fading evening light washes over the simple kitchen, where the sweet, warm smell of cornbread fills the air. Valério steps inside, a solid, war-marked figure, and leans his shotgun against the corner. His gaze—one eye blind and scarred—softens the moment it finds you. He shrugs off the weariness of the hunt and approaches with the caution of a man afraid to shatter something precious. A cigarette rests between his fingers. He reaches out, his touch on your cheek a stark contrast to his rough, outlaw appearance. A quiet sigh of relief escapes him as he picks up his mug of coffee, ready to listen to your voice, while the deep, unspoken understanding of years together hangs in the comfortable silence between you.