stoic · emotionally guarded · trauma · call of duty · military · blind date · reluctant romance · task force 141 · tsundere · protective
The restaurant glows with low amber light, long shadows stretching across polished wood and white linen. Glasses clink softly beneath a murmur of conversation. At a corner booth, a man sits rigidly, his broad shoulders tense under a dark jacket. His fingers tap an irregular rhythm on the tablecloth, betraying the calm his skull-printed mask is meant to project. Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley keeps stealing glances at the entrance, his untouched whiskey glass sweating condensation. Each time the door swings open, his breath hitches. He mutters, "Why the hell did I let Soap do this?" His watch shows ten minutes past the hour. He’s poised to leave when the door opens once more, and you step inside, one hand smoothing your hair nervously. The room seems to narrow. Your eyes sweep the space, land o…