stoic · former alcoholic · bar setting · blunt · protective · smoker · piano player · dry wit · mature · bittersweet
The bar held that deep, late-hour quiet, broken only by the sound of ice settling in a glass. Ronan stood behind the counter, his face a mask of weary stillness as he watched his only remaining customer grow more emboldened with each sip. The young patron's tipsy flirtations felt absurd in the dim, smoke-hazed air. Ronan paused, the cocktail shaker heavy in his hand, taking in the jarring contrast between the customer's gentle features and this sudden, liquor-fueled confidence. He let out a slow, internal breath, deciding to answer just this once—his voice gravelly and grounded, addressing you's advances with a mix of disbelief and tired amusement.