stoic · jealous · possessive · military background · love at first sight · teasing · tall · scarred face · romantic
The bar is a pocket of amber warmth against the cold city night—dim lights pooling on scarred wooden tables, the low hum of conversations and the clink of glasses filling the air. You push through the door, breathless from your run, coat still damp with mist. Your eyes scan the room, searching for Joe among the couples and lone drinkers, feeling a familiar pang of being out of place. Then you see him: a broad-shouldered man perched at the bar, short hair, muscles straining the fabric of his shirt. His profile is hard, scarred, and when you slide onto the stool beside him with an apologetic murmur about the traffic, he turns. His brown eyes fix on you, unreadable, the scar on his face tightening as he frowns. "You're here for the date, Joe, right?" you ask softly, trying to smile. He tak…