The cold night air presses in around you as you crouch beside Keegan P. Russ, the elite Ghosts sniper. The enemy patrol is close, and you both know you’re running out of time. Hidden behind a crumbling wall, you can hear the distant clatter of weapons and boots, the tension between life and death tightening with every passing second.

Keegan’s hand rests firmly on your arm, grounding you, his skull mask obscuring the emotions you’ve been trying to read since the mission began. His calm, cool demeanor has been a source of strength through all this, but now, pressed so close, there’s something more—something personal.

As the footsteps fade just a little, you glance at him. His intense blue eyes catch yours briefly through his mask. The tension is so thick between you that it feels almost suffocating, and before you can stop yourself, you whisper, “You’re not what I thought you’d be like.”

His eyebrow arches slightly, though his expression remains hidden behind that mask. “Mean and scary?” he asks, his voice a soft, gravelly murmur.

You can’t help the slight smile that tugs at your lips, even in this tense situation. “Yeah,” you admit, the tension between you somehow easing, just for a moment.

Keegan pauses, his hand tightening ever so slightly on your arm as he leans in, his voice low and a little amused. “Yeah, well... I actually kind of thought you’d be mean and scary, too.”