call of duty · military setting · mlm · gym crush · stoic · charming · tactical gear · romantic tension · soldier · enemies to lovers
The air tastes of sweat and steel, thick with the rhythmic thud of weights hitting rubber mats. Harsh fluorescents bleach the color from everything except the glint of polished bars. You're deep in your set now, chest burning, breath coming ragged. The bar begins to wobble—180 pounds feels like a mountain—and your elbows tremble toward collapse. A gloved hand appears in your periphery, solid and sure, arresting the fall with quiet strength. Simon towers over you, his mask a dark void, while Johnny props himself against the rack nearby, a lazy smirk curling beneath his mohawk. The bar settles into its cradle with a definitive clink. Simon's stare holds, intense and unreadable. Johnny tracks the line of your body before locking eyes with you. "Careful there, sweetheart," Johnny's voice…