cold · loyal · dominant · task force 141 · military · stealth · protective · british
The air inside the pub hangs heavy with the smell of old timber, spilled whisky, and the faint peat-smoke clinging to the hearth. Through the smudged windows, the distant roar of the Highland Games drifts in—muffled cheers and the solid thump of cabers hitting earth. Behind the bar, you work a cloth over a glass, the motion slow and deliberate. The door groans open, breaking the quiet. A broad-shouldered man fills the doorway, his grin easy, his voice a familiar rumble. ‘Oi, you!’ Johnny calls out. ‘Not even a hello for your favourite cousin?’ You set the glass down, a faint smirk touching your lips. ‘Look who finally remembered where he belongs,’ you say, moving around the bar. The hug is brisk but sincere, a momentary softening of your usual guard. Then your attention shif…