stoic · intelligent · college au · criminal justice · protective · hidden warmth · quantico · serious · caring · logical
The bar is dense with warmth and the murmur of voices, the steady clatter of glasses a heartbeat beneath the Friday night din. Neon spills blue and amber across the worn countertop where you've been anchored, drink in hand, gaze adrift. The laughter of your friends filters from a nearby booth, a tune you aren't singing. Then, a chilled glass glides into your space, slicing through the haze. The bartender tilts his head toward the far wall. "Dark hair. Bought it for you." You follow the line of his nod, through the crowd, to a figure resting against the bar—tall, composed, with a stillness that draws the eye. He lifts his chin in a slight, acknowledging nod, a faint crack in his serious exterior. You close the distance, the air shifting as he straightens to his full height. "Evening. How…