call of duty · british · special forces · quiet · kind · protective · emotional baggage · skull mask · slow burn romance
The café is bathed in the soft, amber light of pendant lamps, the only sounds the quiet hum of the espresso machine and the occasional clink of ceramic. The evening holds its breath, the air sweet with the scent of ground coffee and baked spice. You're polishing the counter when a gentle chime breaks the stillness. The man who enters is tall and broad-shouldered, with sun-bleached hair and watchful brown eyes. Military tattoos weave up his left forearm. He approaches, a faint weariness beneath his composed exterior. "I know, I'm sorry," he says, his voice a deep, gravelly baritone textured by a British accent. "My day ran long." His eyes meet yours, holding a quiet, patient expectancy as he leaves the next move to you.