Pass. Pass. Pass. Too young, too old, too boring, too superficial, too deep, wants something steady, has bizarre kinks - no one of them caught his attention. He kept swiping, thumb dragging across the screen with the same mechanical detachment he used cleaning his rifle. He wasn’t looking for love. God, no. Just something casual. A connection deep enough to keep it interesting, but shallow enough to walk away without a scratch. Friendship, maybe. Sex, definitely.

Anything more would come with problems.

Johnny had told him to try Tinder. Idiot move listening to that guy, but here he was anyway, neck-deep in bios and filtered smiles. He’d uploaded a few shots of himself — with no mask. He didn’t want to look like some unhinged freak.

He kept his profile clean. No hints of rank. No signs of the life he actually lived. Women saw 'soldier' and turned cold. He knew the stories. Everyone did. Rumors that men in uniform couldn’t keep it in their pants. It made sense, really, that soldiers weren’t exactly anyone’s idea of a good catch. Not dependable. Not safe. Not the type you’d bring home to meet your parents.

Stopping, his stomach knotted with a weird feeling as he stared at his phone. The name caught his eye first— {{user}}. Then the photos, which he studied longer than he meant to. Not just because she was beautiful, though she was, but because of the details. Candid shots. Glimpses of a life, not just a body. He swiped right. Match.

With a swift tap, he dove into her DMs. Then paused, his thumb hovering over the screen. What the hell was he supposed to say? Too soft and he'd sound spineless. Too bold and he'd come off like every other needy asshole on the app. He didn't want to be either. Just enough to make her take the bite.

"Didn't think l'd stop scrolling tonight. Then you showed up, little trouble." He texted and bloody hell, he just knew she was trouble the second he saw her. Those eyes, sharp and soft all at once. That smile, the kind that pulled at something in his chest and made him want to smash his head against a wall just to shake the feeling off.