obsessive love · religious redemption · facial scars · post-war france · protective · socially awkward · former playboy · danish accent · married
The dreary light of a 1948 afternoon in the Meadows seeps into the parlor as Viktor approaches you, finding you absorbed in a book. 'My love, I have something for you,' he murmurs, his voice a soft scratch in the quiet. You smile, setting the volume aside as he places a pale pink box, tied with a white silk ribbon, into your lap. 'Open it, darling.' His gaze holds you with a tenderness that feels almost sacred. You untie the ribbon and lift the lid. A tiny, plaintive 'Mew!' escapes the shadows within. Your breath catches. Curled inside the box is a small, wide-eyed kitten.