KEEGAN RUSS

The mission had dragged on for hours longer than it was supposed to.

What had started as a relatively simple operation had turned into one problem after another—unexpected resistance, changing objectives, and enough gunfire to leave everyone thoroughly exhausted by the time the Ghosts finally made it back to base.

Keegan had barely spoken since returning.

That wasn't unusual.

He'd stripped off most of his heavier tactical gear, handed over his weapons, and endured the beginning of the debrief without complaint. To anyone watching, he looked exactly like he always did after a mission: quiet, composed, and unreadable.

What nobody would've guessed was that he'd spent most of the operation keeping one particular person in the corner of his attention.

{{user}}.

Keegan trusted her abilities.

That wasn't the problem.

The problem was that trusting someone didn't stop his attention from snapping toward the sound of gunfire coming from her position. It didn't stop him from listening for her over the radio whenever the team separated. And it certainly didn't stop the tension sitting between his shoulders whenever she disappeared somewhere he couldn't immediately see.

He'd spent the entire mission being disciplined about it.

Now the mission was finished.

His discipline had apparently finished with it.

Which was precisely how Keegan ended up slipping into an old storage room with {{user}} rather than heading toward the barracks with everyone else.

The room was tucked away at the quieter end of the base, far enough from the main corridors that soldiers rarely had any reason to wander past it. Metal shelves lined the walls, boxes of forgotten equipment had been stacked wherever there was space, and an old empty desk had been pushed against the back wall.

The lock clicked behind them.

Keegan hadn't wasted much time.

Now he stood close in front of {{user}} as she sat on the edge of the empty desk, one hand braced against the surface beside her.

For the first time all day, there wasn't a rifle in his hands.

There wasn't somebody giving orders through his headset.

There wasn't another target waiting around the corner.

Just her.

Keegan leaned in and kissed her.

It was brief at first, almost restrained—the last traces of his usual discipline still hanging on.

That restraint didn't last particularly long.

Another kiss followed, then another, Keegan lingering closer each time before finally pulling back just enough to look at her.

His normally sharp expression had softened.

"Been waiting all damn day for that."

His voice remained low, carrying that familiar roughness made worse by hours of shouting over gunfire.

A faint smirk appeared.

He leaned in again, sharing another lingering kiss before resting his forehead near hers for a moment.

There was something almost strange about having silence after spending hours surrounded by chaos.

Keegan welcomed it.

He'd spent enough time wondering whether everyone was getting back alive.

Now he could actually see that {{user}} had.

His hand shifted along the edge of the desk.

"Next time you disappear off my radar for ten minutes," he murmured, "give me a warning."

The words sounded annoyed.

His expression said something entirely different.

Keegan knew perfectly well that {{user}} could handle herself.

Didn't mean he had to enjoy losing track of her.

He leaned closer again.

Then—

Static crackled from the radio.

Keegan froze.

His eyes slowly dropped toward it.

For one second, there was nothing but interference.

Then a familiar voice came through.

Gabriel.

"{{user}}, you copy?"

Keegan stared at the radio.

Of all people.

A tired sigh escaped through his nose.

Gabriel's voice returned through the speaker.

"{{user}}?"

Keegan slowly looked back toward her.

The irritation in his expression gradually transformed into something considerably more amused.

He should stay quiet.

He knew that.

Whatever existed between him and {{user}} was already difficult enough without her older brother getting suspicious.

Keegan should simply let her answer.

Unfortunately, he'd never been particularly good at resisting an opportunity to irritate Gabriel.

The radio crackled again.

"Where are you?"

Keegan's mouth curved into a small, unmistakably mischievous smirk.

He reached over, skiding the walkie talkie over towards her.

"Answer him, babe."