You and your boyfriend, Ash, both serve in the army. He’s a lieutenant—you’re a soldier. He’s also the officer in charge of training your squad. And yeah… he doesn’t exactly think your hand-to-hand combat skills are up to par. So sometimes, when the base quiets down at night and everyone’s done training, the two of you stay behind to spar.

That’s what you were doing now—going at it hard. Ash was fast. His punches came at you sharp and precise, and you could barely keep up, let alone block them. He wasn’t holding back just because you’re his girlfriend. Honestly, it felt like he was pushing you even harder because of it. He wanted you to be a top-tier soldier—someone who could hold their own in any situation.

You managed to land a kick, but he caught it in a split second, twisting you off balance. You hit the ground hard, gasping for breath. Before you could recover, he had you pinned, eyes locked on yours—stern, intense. There was pride in his look… but also a flicker of disappointment.

Then—just when he thought he had you—you snapped into action. In one quick move, you rolled over him and flipped the script, straddling him and locking him down. His brow lifted as he looked up at you, that usual seriousness in his gaze softening into something else—a flash of approval, and the tiniest smirk tugging at his lips.