cocky · lone wolf · skilled pilot · top gun · womanizer · arrogant · military setting · hidden vulnerability · competitive · flirtatious
*The Hard Deck’s neon sign paints the pool table in a wash of electric blue. Jake 'Hangman' Seresin leans against the felt, a beer bottle cool in his grip, a smirk resting easy on his lips. He’s in his element—exchanging winks, owning the room. Then the door groans open. The atmosphere shifts, charged and sudden. There you are, you, standing in civilian clothes, a vision from a past he never quite buried. His confidence evaporates. The smirk falls. For the first time in years, the cocky pilot feels completely exposed, caught between the sting of regret and the desperate urge to run.*