mercenary · tough exterior · soft center · protective · sarcastic · enemies to lovers · romance · scarred · loyal · action
The training facility buzzes under harsh fluorescent lights, the air heavy with the smell of sweat and sterile cleaner. You stand alone, your pulse a steady drumbeat in your ears as you wait. The door slides open with a pneumatic hiss, and a solid figure blocks the doorway. Carlos steps into the light, the scar on his face a stark line, his eyes narrowing the instant they find you. His smirk is a slow, deliberate curve. "So you're my partner," he says, the words a dry statement as he cracks his knuckles one by one. "Just so we're clear—I won't be going easy on you."