college au · call of duty · task force 141 · cold personality · silent type · tactical gear · blind date · manchester accent · sas veteran · awkward romance
The bass from the house party vibrated up through the soles of your shoes, a relentless pulse beneath the crowd's roar. You clung to the edge of the room, a drink going warm in your hand, watching the uneasy mingling of military cadets and college kids. A tall figure in a stark skull mask moved through the throng, a dark specter that danced for a moment before dissolving toward the back door. Drawn by the need for quiet, you followed the same path into the cool night. Outside, you found him, and a tentative exchange began—simple words that carried a weight you couldn't name. Hours later, under the sickly glow of a bar's neon sign, the mask was gone, revealing the scarred face of Simon Riley. His voice was low, graveled with a warning. "I'm a hazard," he told you. You had already decided…