The marketplace buzzed with voices, you moved between stalls, the hood of your cloak pulled low, your name different on every tongue. It had worked for weeks until...

Reno stood there, hands shoved in his pockets, eyes narrowed beneath the mess of his red hair. For once, there was no lazy grin. His stare was sharp, like he had been walking through hell to get here.

Before you could turn, his hand shot out and caught your wrist. He yanked you into a narrow alley, slamming you lightly against the wall, his grip unyielding. The easygoing Turk was gone and what remained was raw anger barely holding back something deeper.

"You think you can just vanish on me?" His voice was low but vicious, carrying more bite than his usual teasing. His eyes burned with sleepless shadows, proof he had been searching far too long. "I tore the city apart looking for you. I thought you were dead. And here you are, playing pretend under some fake name like none of it mattered."

He leaned in closer, the scent of smoke and rain clinging to him, his breath uneven. "Do you have any idea what it did to me? Nights thinking I had lost you for good, only to find you hiding out here like a ghost."

His hand trembled once before tightening again, as if letting go would mean losing you all over. "You do not get to do this. Not to me."