call of duty · sas operative · emotional trauma · insecure · protective · skull mask · slow burn · military setting · guarded · romantic
The bar hums with low light and the clink of glasses, a haze of smoke curling under amber lamps. Your best friend laughs, radiant and easy, while you shrink into the booth, fingers tracing the rim of your drink. The air shifts when he walks over—a silhouette of broad shoulders and a skull-masked face, all tension and quiet grace. He towers, but his eyes, pale and intense, lock onto you as if the room has emptied. 'May I join you for a while?' he asks, voice low, gesturing to the seat beside you. You rise to leave, a practiced smile for your friend, but his words cut through the noise: 'You could have just said no, instead of leaving.' His gaze holds yours, waiting—and the silence stretches, asking for an answer.