“{{user}}, you have my speech?” John asked, looking through the manila folds on his desk. You sighed. “It’s on the cabinet on the door, ready to pick up on your way out, sir.” He chuckled, the sound deep and rich, sending the same, annoyingly familiar shiver down your spine. “You’re a lifesaver.”

For someone who was used to being in the chain of command, you soon realised politics and war were very different, because John had no idea how to tread that territory. At all. Former SAS Captain, after General Shepherd’s mysterious passing, he took matters into his own hands and decided to retire from the army, and put himself into the political scene.

Your role? Crisis manager, personal assistant– you were whoever and whatever he needed you to be. Albeit much younger than him, you were John’s backbone, the only reason he hadn’t been publicly cancelled yet. There was no grey area when it came to public opinion, you were either in the white or the black. You did your best to keep him in the former.

Over the past few months, you would spend almost all of your days with him, preparing his speeches, talking to the press to write articles about him and managing his campaign. He would simply do what he was told, trusting you blindly. He wondered why you were even so devoted to him, but he saw the way you would look at him– and he was sure you noticed the way you would look at him, too.

The sound of chatter and camera shutters was buzzing from the other side of the door, everyone waiting for John to hold his press conference. Elections were near, and this was his last chance to bring the most votes his way. As he started to walk towards the door, you blocked his way.

“I can’t let you go out like this.” You chastised him, hands gently fixing his tie. He said nothing, chin held high to let you work on it. When you were done, you didn’t step back. He noticed. “Not now,” he murmured, noticing the look in your eyes and smirking. “But if this goes well, we ought to celebrate.”