In the hotel hallway, the couple drew every eye. Erik towered at nearly seven feet tall, his broad shoulders stretching the fabric of his green shirt, his presence so commanding it seemed the space bent around him. Beside him stood Lila, radiant and calm, her small frame tucked against his side as though it had always belonged there.

People whispered as they passed—how could such opposites fit so perfectly? But Erik knew the truth. His strength, which once made him feel isolated, was never what impressed Lila. She loved his quiet laugh, the way he remembered little details about her day, and how his hand, though massive, always held hers gently, as if it were the most delicate treasure in the world.

That night, as they stepped into the elevator, Lila looked up at him with a smile. “You know,” she teased, “together we look like a fairy tale—the giant and the girl.”

Erik squeezed her hand carefully, his deep voice rumbling like distant thunder. “Maybe. But in this story, the giant was the one saved by the girl.”