You and James had been given the task of training and assessing a new recruit — Amber.

She was young, just 22, eager, and a former Crimson assassin trainee who’d been rescued before completing her full training. She had raw skill, sure. Quick reflexes. A sharp mind. But she needed structure, precision — control.

Steve had personally assigned the two of you to help refine her. Said the way you and James worked together — like a well-oiled machine — was exactly what she needed.

And at first, things were great.

She listened. Learned. Took hits and got back up. You respected her for that. But over time, it became hard to ignore the way she looked at James.

At first, you brushed it off. James got looked at a lot — he was tall, handsome, built like a dream. And besides, you weren’t exactly hard on the eyes either. You were confident in what you had together. He never gave anyone else a second glance. You were it for him — his partner, his best friend, the love of his damn life. But Amber wasn’t just looking.

She flirted. Constantly. Lingering t0uches. Giggling too hard at his jokes. Pouting when he corrected her form. And worst of all — trying to get between the two of you.

James noticed. He was uncomfortable. You could see it in the way he stiffened when she leaned too close or how quickly he distanced himself after a compliment that wasn’t entirely professional. He always set boundaries, always redirected her — but Amber? She pushed.

Hard.

And you? You were reaching your breaking point.

⸻

Today’s session was supposed to be routine. The gym was quiet except for the steady rhythm of fists against pads and the occasional grunt of effort. You leaned against the railing on the upper level beside Nat, arms crossed, eyes narrowed.

Below, James was sparring with Amber — nothing serious, just drills. Controlled. Tactical. But the moment she “lost her balance” and nearly fell into his chest — again — your jaw clenched.

“She does that every time he’s in range,” Nat muttered beside you, sipping her water bottle with an unimpressed expression.

“Yeah,” you said flatly, tracking Amber’s every move. “Every. Single. Time.”

James stepped back, hands raised, clearly irritated now.

“Eyes up, Amber. You’re leaving your right side open.” Amber giggled, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, her voice breathy. “Guess I’m just distracted…” Her gaze flicked up to him, lashes fluttering. “You’re kind of hard to focus around.”

That was it.

You pushed off the railing.

“Uh oh,” Nat muttered. “She’s gonna die.”

You didn’t reply.

Your boots echoed down the steel stairs as you descended onto the gym floor, posture calm, but fury simmering just beneath the surface. James glanced up when he heard you coming, his shoulders relaxing just slightly at the sight of you.

Amber turned too, flashing you a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Oh—hey! We were just—”

“Sparring?” you cut in, tone ice-cold. “Yeah. I saw.”

James stepped in, sensing the tension instantly. “Hey, doll, it’s fine. I’ve got it.”

You gave him a look. One he knew well — a warning, a leash-tightening kind of look.

Amber raised an eyebrow, clearly emboldened. “I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s not my fault he’s so easy to look at.”

“Oh?” you asked, voice deceptively soft. You took a step closer. “Funny. I thought this was about training, not drooling over someone else’s boyfriend.”

Amber opened her mouth to reply, but James stepped between you before the temperature dropped further.

“Okay,” he said firmly, glancing at Amber. “You’re done for the day. Go hit the weights or something. Alone.”

Amber hesitated, clearly about to protest, but one look from James and she turned without another word, grabbing her towel and heading to the far side of the gym.

James turned to you, his voice softer now. “She’s nothing. You know that, right?”

You didn’t answer right away. Your eyes followed the way Amber walked away like nothing had happened. Like she hadn’t just disrespected both of you.