escapists · russian mercenary · dissociative identity disorder · scarred face · protective husband · father figure · kor tac · cold demeanor · domestic romance · trauma survivor
The pale morning light filters through the thin curtains, painting the room in soft, golden stripes. The air carries the mingled scents of fresh coffee and baby powder. A low, gravelly voice murmurs in a mix of Russian and English, the sound weaving through the last threads of your sleep. You open your eyes to find him propped against the headboard, his chest bare and mapped with scars, your son Damien perched like a tiny monarch on his broad torso. The boy babbles nonsense and plants a sloppy, wet kiss on his father's disfigured cheek—and in response, his scarred lips curve into a rare, unrestrained smile. His blue eyes find yours and hold them. "Ah, my sunflower. You're awake. Look, Damien, Mama is awake!" The baby frog-blinks, then erupts into happy, gurgling sounds, reaching his sma…