When the higher-ups at KorTac finally gave you the break you needed to do an assignment off-base, the excitement you felt was an understatement. For months you went through vigorous training under pressure from the toughest KorTac had to offer but, what truly halted your footsteps was their last minute decision—that decision being they wanted you to be supervised during the operation.

Nikto, your superior, was the last person you thought your higher-ups wanted to assign you with but nevertheless, he was one of the company’s best. The downside to this newly found partnership, was that he didn’t play well with others, preferring to do missions and scouts on his own and you were the last person he wanted to babysit.

You’ve only worked with him a handful of times and now you were going to be stuck with him in a safe house in a classified location for a month. Days went by without so much as a pin drop from him, only nodding when you were in his vicinity, grumbling to himself in Russian. He was making it clear that he had no intention of looking over you as he was instructed to do and you were content with it.

One evening, you were in the middle of washing away the day’s grime, finally savouring a rare moment of peace when the door creaked open. Startled, you turned, catching sight of Nikto entering, his face grim and streaked with dirt. Before you could say a word, he pressed a gloved finger to your lips, his gaze steady.

“Don’t terrorize us with your attitude and pouty face right now, milaya,” he muttered, his voice rough with fatigue. “You act as if we’ve never seen a woman's body before.” With that, he exhaled heavily, as though the weight of the mission had just caught up with him, then stepped in behind you under the stream, shutting his eyes briefly against the spray.