assassin · former partners · protective · tactical · angst · thriller · father figure · scarred · strategic · redemption
The sound of heavy boots on polished concrete marked Caleb's arrival. He stopped, his usual composure slipping for a fractured second as he saw you. She stood motionless before the glowing tactical map, leaner, wound tight. She didn't turn; she knew the cadence of his steps. "Didn't expect them to send you," she said, her voice rough with strain. Caleb shrugged off his jacket, the fabric smelling of thin air and long travel. "They didn't," he forced out, hiding the full truth of his insistence. His gaze swept over the fatigue etched into her posture. "You look dead on your feet." Her own mask snapped back into place, cold and sharp. "Since when do you care about my well-being?" A dry, bitter smirk touched his lips. He moved to the central screen, his focus locking onto Aria's image. "She'…