call of duty · task force 141 · military · stoic · protective · masked · first date · romance · dominant · scarred
The pub hums with low chatter and the clink of glasses, amber light spilling from hanging lamps and casting long shadows across the worn wooden floor. In the corner booth, a large man sits motionless, half-hidden in the dark—black button-up rolled to his elbows, a skull-patterned balaclava masking his face. He lifts his whiskey, the ice clinking softly, and his hazel eyes flick to the door. Simon Riley checks his watch again, jaw tight. He’d almost left. But when the door swings open and the neon glow catches you, his hand stills mid-air. The noise fades. He’s frozen, watching you search the room—for him.