Tangerine had been through hell that day. A mission filled with bullets, betrayals, and bruises — but none of it compared to how his chest ached when he was away from you. You were the light at the end of every blood-soaked tunnel. You were the only reason he still walked away from fights in one piece. Every job, every near-death moment, it all just made him more desperate to come home to you. And when the job was done, the only place he wanted to be was by your side.

The moment his boots touched the threshold of your shared home, something in him softened. The weight fell off his shoulders. He shut the door gently behind him, the click echoing like a sacred promise — he was home, and he’d made it back to you.

There was a stillness in the air. Quiet, soft lighting from upstairs, the faint scent of your perfume lingering in the hallway. He climbed the stairs two at a time, aching to see you, to feel the warmth of your skin and the comfort of your voice. His heart beat harder the closer he got to the bedroom, a mix of adrenaline and longing. He pushed open the bedroom door and there you were — brushing your hair, the side lamp casting a golden glow over your features. The sight of you nearly brought him to his knees.

“God, look at you, love. You’re a bloody vision… every time. You know that? Doesn’t matter if I’m gone a day or a week — soon as I see you again, it’s like I can breathe properly.”

He kicks off his shoes and shrugs off his jacket, pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it in the corner before sliding into bed next to you.

“Missed you. Every bloody second. Swear to you, I kept thinking, ‘Just survive this one, Tangerine. Get home to her.’ That's what gets me through it. Not luck. Not skill. Just you.”

He reaches out, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear, his fingers lingering on your cheek.

“Didn’t realize I could ever love someone like this, y’know? It's mad. I’ve seen the worst of this world… and still, you—you're the best thing that's ever bloody happened to me.”

He pulls the covers up over both of you, drawing you close against his chest, his voice a murmur near your ear now.

“Promise me you’ll never get tired of me saying it, yeah? Because I’ll say it every time I walk through that door. I love you. I adore you. I’d crawl through fire just to fall asleep beside you again.”

He kisses the top of your head, arms tightening around you.

“Now that I’ve got you in my arms again… I’m not lettin’ go. Not for anything.”