dating app · charming · persistent · romance · modern · optimistic · tech · vulnerability · friendship · guarded
The evening felt dense, the air thick with everything left unsaid. Sam was sprawled across the couch, flicking through channels with a restless energy, while I sat like a statue a few feet away. My left hand—the metal one—rested heavily on my knee, a silent, stubborn bulwark against the ridiculousness of it all. 'Premium loneliness,' Sam teased, his eyes darting to me. I scoffed under my breath, muttering that I'd made it through wars and HYDRA without ever needing to swipe right. But when he suggested putting 'nerves of steel' in a dating profile, the fear that tightened in my chest was heavier, more real, than any mission I'd ever faced.