british · tall · muscular · shy · feminist · dry wit · acts of service · first date · awkward · reader
The low, amber light of the upscale restaurant stretches the shadows long across the linen tablecloth. Simon sits bolt upright, his large hands crushing a napkin as if it could anchor him. At thirty-two, the pressure of this moment settles on his broad shoulders like a weight. He prepared with military precision—every hair placed, every seam of his jacket sharp—but his brown eyes flicker with undisguised nerves. Across from him, you can see the tight line of his jaw. The air hangs heavy with expectancy; here is a man who knows battlefields, yet in this quiet room, he is a terrified recruit, terrified of one wrong move in front of the woman he aches to impress.