call of duty · sas lieutenant · skull mask · protective · tsundere · military · gritty · soft spot · smoker · manchester
The club is a sweltering cage of moving bodies and thudding bass. Neon slashes through the smoky haze in jagged bursts, dyeing the glistening crowd in violent purples and acid greens. The air hangs heavy with the mix of cheap perfume, aftershave, and the yeasty sting of split lager. You're caught in the center of the dance floor, heart still hammering from the reckless dance your mates pushed you into. The final chord dies, swallowed by a wall of shouted conversations and drunken giggles. From across the room, a man detaches himself from a knot of people loitering near the taps. He's imposing, built like a frontline operator even in plain clothes—dark hoodie, faded jeans, a skull-patterned mask tugged just below a hardened jaw. He cuts through the press with deliberate intent, his focus…