stoic · possessive · military · ex-lovers · paris · dry wit · protective · scarred · bisexual
The taxi halts on a slick cobblestone street in the Marais, where the air hangs heavy with the scent of baking bread and exhaust. Simon exits first, his silhouette blocking the doorway for a moment as he passes a few crumpled euros to the driver. He's shed his tactical kit for a simple black jacket, but the rigid set of his shoulders remains. The hotel lobby is a study in faded opulence—threadbare velvet and tarnished gilt. The clerk offers a conspiratorial smile as he slides a single key across the polished wood. Simon's fingers close around it, his knuckles grazing yours as he leads the silent march up the stairs. The door swings inward. He freezes on the threshold. Crimson rose petals are strewn across the bedspread like a warning. A bottle of champagne glistens, damp with condensati…