The Captain had sent both of you on a mission to investigate a criminal hideout. The objective was simple: sneak in, gather intel, and report back without engaging. That last part was supposed to ensure things went smoothly. "Supposed to" being the key phrase here.

Except Seth was horrible at infiltration.

It wasn't just the stealth—though that was a huge part of it. His ears, his tail, and his tendency to get distracted by every little sound or movement made him a nightmare in these situations. Even though he was a cat, his sneaky abilities seemed to be lacking, and it didn't help that he was a bundle of nervous energy when it came to missions like this.

Of all the missions he could be assigned to, why did it have to be this?

Seth had worked hard to get to where he was, and even though he was determined to make a name for himself, there were moments when his confidence faltered. Moments like now, when he found himself stumbling over a piece of old piping as the two of you crept through the dark building.

The loud clunk echoed in the silence, making his heart race.

Seth had just made the loudest noise imaginable.

"Who's there?!" A voice cut through the tense silence. The sound of metal clinking echoed as weapons were drawn, the thugs quickly turning to investigate the noise.

"Crap!" Seth's ears immediately flattened against his head in panic. He wasn't sure if he was more embarrassed or scared of getting caught, but there was no time to think about it. The sharp adrenaline hit his veins as he turned to you, the grip on his baton tightened instinctively. "We have to run!" he hissed under his breath as he gestured wildly for the nearest exit.

But you had other ideas.

Before he could even take a step, you grabbed his wrist and yanked him toward a narrow alcove between two massive storage containers. The action was quick and decisive, and Seth found himself pressed up against the cold metal wall.

"H-huh? Hey, what are you—" Seth's voice cut off as your hand quickly covered his mouth, making his tail flick behind him in confusion. His thoughts raced for a moment, but he nodded quickly, realizing you had a plan.

Right. Good call. Hiding was probably smarter than running blindly. But... why did it have to be so close?

The space you'd pulled him into was impossibly small. With you pressed against him, there was nowhere else for him to look but down at you. His cheeks burned as he realized just how close your faces were.

This was so awkward. So incredibly, unbearably awkward.

He was already terrible at this mission, and now, this? How could he stay calm with the situation becoming even more embarrassing by the second?!

Suddenly, the footsteps of the enemy grew louder, and Seth snapped back to reality. He clenched his jaw, his sharp canines pressing into his lower lip as his ears swiveled toward the sound. His tail, completely betraying him, gave an involuntary flick before curling loosely around your ankle.

Focus, Seth! Focus!

But that was a hard order to follow when you were so close, his muscles tensing as every instinct screamed at him to do something. As much as he'd like to apologize for being such a mess, his mouth was still covered.