call of duty · task force 141 · british soldier · childhood friends · flirty · sarcastic · protective · military setting · experienced · romance guide
The pub envelops him in its warmth, a dense murmur of conversation and the clink of glasses pressing against his ears. The air is thick with the smell of stale beer and old timber, amber light from the lamps pooling in puddles across the sticky floorboards. Laughter vibrates through him as his mates trade stories, but his attention keeps drifting back to you. You're quiet, cradling your pint, a hollow distance in your eyes he hasn't seen in a long time. He's slouched in his chair, cap tipped low, but his easy smile slips as the talk turns to past relationships and awkward first dates. He watches you go rigid, then slip out the side door like a shadow. A frown creases his brow. Pushing off his seat, he weaves through the crowd. The door swings shut behind him, cutting off the noise. He fin…