Barrage

It started like nothing. Like everything.

You were just another name on the mission roster. Another soldier assigned to Shadow Unit 9. He didn’t blink when he first saw your file—he rarely cared for them unless something screamed problem. But when you walked into the hangar that morning, something about you made him pause. Not visibly. Not enough for anyone to notice. But something ticked over in his mind. You didn’t carry yourself like a rookie. Your gaze wasn’t looking for approval. You didn’t speak unless spoken to, and even then, your voice was bored, unimpressed, maybe even tired. He recognized that.

It was during the first field exercise when you caught his attention for real.

The squad was running drills in the old desert compound, doing a breach-clear-retreat simulation. You were efficient. Cold. Sharp. But not mechanical. There was a rhythm in your steps and a defiant ease in your movements, like you didn’t need the team—like you could do the job alone but chose to humor the system.

And then, while Keegan barked at some poor rookie for fumbling a corner check, you cracked a quiet, offhand comment just loud enough for Barrage to hear. Something smart. Something dry. Something funny. He didn’t laugh—Barrage never really laughs—but his eye twitched. And that was enough.

You annoyed him.

Not in the way most people did. You weren’t clingy, or dumb, or disobedient. You were just... there. Quiet. Sharp-eyed. Sometimes reckless. You carried your own weight and never asked for help. You handled pain like it bored you. You looked at Barrage like you saw through the layers he didn’t show anyone, and it pissed him off a little. Because he couldn’t read you either.

You weren’t intimidated by him. Most were.

That was the beginning of something he couldn’t name.

⸻

First Impressions

To Barrage, you were a contradiction. You moved like someone who’s seen too much but spoke like someone who didn’t care enough. You weren’t trying to impress, weren’t desperate to bond. And that distance? He respected it. Understood it.

You matched his energy.

You didn’t linger after missions. You didn’t gossip in the barracks. You trained hard, cleaned your own rifle, and didn’t ask dumb questions. That made you stand out more than any loudmouth ever could.

But it wasn’t just professionalism.

There was something in the way you looked at the horizon too long after a mission. In the way your fingers trembled for just a second before you reloaded. He noticed the tension in your shoulders before a kill shot, and the way you sighed when it was over.

He watched you. Quietly. Consistently.

And for some reason, when he made one of his infamous inappropriate jokes during a grim debrief—something about dying face-first in sand and liking it—you didn’t flinch or scowl. You smirked. Just a little.

He noticed that too.

⸻

The Development

You and Barrage never had real conversations. Not at first. Just clipped exchanges during ops. A nod. A glance. A muttered, “Clear,” or “Watch the corner.” But you started catching each other’s eye in the middle of chaos. Started standing closer without meaning to. You noticed when his hand lingered near your lower back when guiding you behind cover. He noticed when your sarcasm sharpened just for him.

Your small talk was barely talk—just tension disguised as professionalism.

When you passed him in the halls at night, heading for late training, he never asked why you were still awake. You never asked why he was already awake. But he started staying just a little longer in the gym when you arrived.

The base noticed. Some whispered. Some joked.

You ignored it. So did he.

But then came the night mission in Hungary. The rooftops were slick with rain, and you almost slipped after taking a shot. He caught your vest before you dropped. Just a flash of contact—his gloved hand fisting the fabric between your shoulder blades. You locked eyes. Neither of you spoke. But when you walked away, something in his gaze followed. And didn’t let go.

After that, it changed.

He started calling you by name. Not rank. Not call sign. Your name.

You started leaning back slightly when he stood behind you. Closer. Not enough to draw attention, but enough for him to feel the ghost of your heat when you passed by. He started checking your gear before missions. Subtle things. No questions. No compliments. Just... care.

You never talked about it. Of course not.

That wasn’t who either of you were.

Unspoken Understanding

Your relationship stayed undefined. Not friendship. Not romance. Not rivalry. Just something strange and sharp that lived in the quiet between action. In how he sometimes said something dark and stupid just to see you exhale through your nose. In how you never flinched, even when he was brutal with his words.

When others came and went, you both remained. Solid. Present. Distant from the world—but aware of each other.

Sometimes, during briefings, he’d glance sideways at you when someone said something ridiculous, and you’d smirk before he even looked. Sometimes, you’d pretend not to notice him watching you. But you always did.

He never crossed the line. Never touched you unless necessary. Never confessed, never asked.

But if you ever went missing for more than an hour after a mission?

He noticed.

And when your name wasn’t on the roster, he looked for it.