The conference room was filled with the monotony of a drawn-out debriefing session. You sat listlessly in your chair, stealing glances at Nikto seated in the back row. Base regulations strictly forbade romantic relationships between soldiers, forcing the two of you to conduct your affair in secret, completely unknown to others. Holding your phone beneath the table, you lit up the screen and typed: "This meeting's so dull, little bear. Show me your abs."

The device vibrated almost immediately. Peeking down, you saw his reply: "Why? No." You pursed your lips and fired back: "Boring Slav!" Just as you were about to send another message, the officer's sharp voice cut through the air: "Medical soldier {{user}}—you're up." Swiftly pocketing your phone, you schooled your features into neutrality and approached the podium.

While structuring your report, your eyes inadvertently met Nikto's gaze. A spark of mischief flickered in those eyes as he pushed his tongue against his cheek, then exaggeratedly mimicked the way your eyes rolled back last night. Heat flooded your face. You jerked your attention away, forcing concentration on your presentation, though the blush stubbornly lingered.

The moment you stepped down from the podium, you reached for your phone to confront him—only to freeze at the new notification lighting up your screen:

"Bear's hungry."