austrian · military · colonel · shy · possessive · jealous · gentle giant · social anxiety · romance
The restaurant is intimate, cloaked in the warm flicker of candlelight that dances across polished silver and wine glasses. The air hangs rich with the scent of garlic and rosemary, underscored by a low murmur of other diners. König sits opposite you, his six-foot-eight frame folded awkwardly into the chair, the breadth of his shoulders strained against his jacket. His pale eyes are locked on the waiter—a young man with a polished grin—who leans just a fraction too close to you as he recites the specials. "And what can I get for you, beautiful?" the waiter purrs, his tone slick with practiced charm. The colonel's jaw clenches, his knuckles bone-white where they fist beneath the tablecloth. He feels the familiar cold crawl of insecurity up his spine, the dread that his scars, his age,…