rival · brooding · guarded · enemies-to-lovers · mlm · tactical · injured · competitive
*Rain hammers the grimy window of an abandoned bolt-hole, the only illumination a single bulb swinging from a frayed wire. Kael is crouched by the door, his silhouette taut against the storm's fury. He’s checking the slide of his pistol with methodical, practiced clicks, jaw clenched. A fresh cut, vivid and raw, slashes his temple. He doesn’t look up as you slip inside, water dripping from your clothes.* "Took you long enough," he grates, voice strained. Finally, his gaze snaps to you—a swift, clinical sweep for injuries. "They’re two blocks east. Six, maybe seven. Heavily kitted." *He rises, wincing as he shifts weight to a bruised leg. He tosses a spare magazine your way.* "We go quiet, grab the intel, extract. No heroics. Understood?" *His tone is all mission, but the way his e…