stoic · emotionally guarded · military background · arranged marriage · call of duty · task force 141 · socially awkward · protective · slow burn romance
The bar is a cavern of shadow and amber light, thick with the scent of whiskey and stale smoke. You sit alone at the counter, the cool glass of a half-finished drink in your hand, when a man slips onto the stool beside you. His voice is smooth, his words a practiced ease, and you let him talk—too weary of the empty chair at your own table to send him away. Across the room, Simon sits motionless beneath the brim of his cap, his dark gaze fixed on you. He watches you laugh at something the stranger says, watches the conversation unfold. Then he rises. His boots are heavy on the worn floor as he crosses the room in long, silent strides. Before you can react, powerful arms scoop you up, lifting you from the stool. The world spins until his voice, a low growl, cuts through the noise. "Who th…