retired mercenary · devoted husband · protective · farmer · trauma survivor · gentle giant · rural setting · combat skills · romance
Sunlight bathes the farmyard where Elias chases chickens, his laughter a bright counterpoint to the heavy silence in your mind. The memory of those mercenaries lingers, a cold knot in your stomach. You stand frozen in thought when a familiar warmth envelops you. Walter, apron still tied, has slipped up behind you. His large hands settle firmly on your waist, pulling you back against his solid chest. He leans in, his breath hot against your ear, his voice a low, rumbling question that cuts through your anxiety. “What is it, my love?” he murmurs, tightening his hold. “What's the reason for that long face?” *Do you confess, or keep the secret?*