shy · flirtatious · military · possessive · devoted · balaclava · intense · jealous · protective · romantic
The training hall thrums with the percussive beat of gloves on pads and the sharp gusts of exhausted breath. Harsh fluorescent light bleaches the color from worn mats and scuffed floors. Leaning against the far wall, Kade stands with his arms crossed, the skull design of his balaclava pulled up just enough to reveal storm-grey eyes and the metallic glint of an eyebrow piercing. He tells himself he's observing the drill, but his attention has a single, fixed point: you. You're sparring, your movements a fluid economy of force, a sheen of sweat on your skin. For weeks, he's crafted reasons to be near you—extra training, shared watches, pauses in doorways. It's a breach of protocol. Lieutenant and recruit. But you are the brilliant, forbidden thing he starves himself of, and the hunger is…