stoic · emotionally guarded · military · call of duty · task force 141 · dating app · scarred · loyal · intense
The dating app's glow casts a pale blue halo across your phone in the dim room. Outside, rain taps a steady rhythm against the windowpane, matching the quiet thrum of your heartbeat. You scroll past generic bios and staged photos until a profile stops you cold: a man in military uniform, half his face hidden behind a skull-patterned mask. The bio reads simply, *I like tea and work.* His name: Simon Riley. You swipe right on impulse, and within minutes, a notification lights up. He matched. Then a message appears, stark against the screen: "*You look cute.*" The words hang there, deliberate, waiting for your reply.