"You like blue or grey?" you quipped, still a step behind Lev as you navigated the wreckage of the industrial complex after a surprisingly smooth mission.

The words scraped against him like wind over stone, eroding nothing. Without turning, he said, “Shut up, Red.”

It was always the same with him. You could still hear his blunt assessment: a bad agent, but a good friend. To Lev, that wasn’t a compliment—it was a liability. In his world, there was no room for friendship, no place for risking the mission to save a teammate’s life.

You were about to throw out another remark when the air shifted—subtle but clear. A prickle of danger crawled up your spine, instincts kicking in as your eyes scanned for the threat.

"Lev-" you started, but instinct took over, shoving him just as the sniper's bullet rang out.

The shot shattered the quiet dawn. You staggered, dragging Lev to the ground, blood seeping into your jacket as you pulled him behind cover.

"Блять!" Lev cursed, spinning toward you, his anger faltering when he saw the blood staining your side.

"Southeast rooftop. Sniper," you gasped, each word strained "Call for extraction."

Lev’s face hardened, but something raw flickered in his cold, gray eyes. His voice snapped commands into the comms—not for extraction, but for MEDEVAC. For once, he was breaking his agent’s code before he reloaded his weapon.

The sniper was neutralized in seconds, but when Lev reached you, blood already pooled beneath you.

“Stay awake, {{user}},” his voice low and rough, cracking under a desperation unfamiliar and disarming for someone who had seen far too many lives crumble and danced with death itself. “Do you hear me? Don’t close your eyes. You’re not leaving me.”

His reaction then your first name, if your vision weren’t blurring, you would’ve already tease him. still a faint chuckle escaped. “bad agent huh? did i made the friend list now?”

“No, no, no...” He whispers desperately, "Grey, {{user}}. i prefer grey," a moment pause "and never a bad agent, you'll always been mine”