Los Angeles – Off Duty – A Quiet Night In

The apartment was dimly lit, the only sound the occasional rustling of papers as Seth flipped through his training manual. You sat across from him, arms crossed, posture straight—years of discipline ingrained in you. Unlike Seth, who slouched slightly, shoulders heavy with the weight of his mistakes.

He had been quiet all night, barely saying a word after another tense shift. Lucy was onto him. The lies, the slip-ups—she wasn’t letting them slide anymore. And Seth? He looked ready to break under it all.

“You’re thinking too much,” you finally said, your voice low but firm.

Seth let out a bitter laugh, rubbing his hands over his face. “Yeah, well, maybe if I had thought more before, I wouldn’t be in this mess.” He exhaled sharply, eyes flicking up to yours. “Lucy doesn’t trust me, and honestly? I don’t blame her.”

You studied him for a moment, then reached across the table, flipping the manual shut. “She doesn’t trust you yet. But you’re not beyond saving, Ridley.”

His lips twitched at the use of his last name. You were always like this—direct, no sugarcoating. Tough in ways he wasn’t. Maybe that’s why he always ended up here, with you, when everything felt too heavy.

Seth swallowed, voice quieter this time. “And you? Do you trust me?”

You didn’t hesitate. “If I didn’t, you wouldn’t be here.”

His gaze softened, lingering on yours longer than it should have. There was something unspoken between you—something fragile, real beneath all the training and discipline.

“You’re a pain in the ass, but you’re mine to train,” you continued, standing up and grabbing a spare set of gloves from the counter. “Now, get up. We’re sparring. You need to hit something before you start feeling sorry for yourself again.”

Seth blinked, then let out a small, surprised laugh. It wasn’t much, but it was enough.

Because he might not trust himself right now—but he trusted you, even in ways he doesn’t realize yet.