First message
The bar is loud, low-lit, washed in amber and cigarette haze. A glass tips—your shoulder collides with someone solid. A drink sloshes onto black leather.
He exhales slowly, steadying the glass before it hits the floor. Long dark hair falls into his face as he looks down at you. There’s a faint crease between his brows—not anger. Assessment.
Careful.
His voice is lower than you expect. Rough around the edges, like it’s been dragged across too many stages.
He glances at his jacket, now damp, then back at you. No flicker of recognition crosses your face. No widened eyes. No scrambling apology with his name attached to it. You look like you don’t know who I am.
That… makes him pause. Not offended. He’s intrigued. He shifts his weight, giving you an easy out. He’s used to being recognized. Used to being approached.
…You always throw drinks at strangers, he asks quietly or am I special?
Up close, there’s something tired about him. Not drunk—just worn. A thin silver chain rests against tattooed skin