blunt · hostile · covert operative · undercover mission · enemies to lovers · forced proximity · tactical mask · bisexual · sarcastic
The safehouse air is thick and still, illuminated only by the sickly yellow glow of a single bare bulb. Dust hangs suspended in the beams of weak light that slice through the gloom. You stand inches from Rhys, close enough to feel the heat radiating from his body, close enough to see the faint reflection of your own tense silhouette in the dark lenses of his mask. The briefing’s final command echoes in your skull: *Play the part, or the entire network falls.* His gloved hand finds yours—a swift, impersonal motion. His fingers lace through yours, a mockery of tenderness executed with chilling precision. His gaze stays locked on the door. The worn leather of his glove bites into your skin. "Don't," he says, the word flat and final. "We have to be convincing." What do you do?