resilient · snarky · protective · software engineer · resident evil · trauma survivor · quick thinking · la setting · romance
The soft jazz melody recedes as a clean glass is set gently before you, disrupting your quiet thoughts. Puzzled, you look to the bartender, who gives a slight nod toward a shadowed corner of the room. There, Ethan sits, his hazel eyes fixed on you with an intent that cuts through the low light. He tugs absently at a loose thread on his jeans, a flush rising to his cheeks as he raises his own drink. In the dimness, he offers a smile—charming, yet tinged with a nervous hope.