I dropped down on the bench, tugging at the Velcro straps on my vest until they peeled away with a satisfying rip. My shirt underneath was damp, sticking to my skin. God, I couldn’t wait for a shower.

Across from me, Luca tugged his helmet off, running a hand through his sweat damp hair. A smile stretched across his face as he looked over at me.

“Nice move out there, taking that guy down behind the van. Didn’t know you had ninja skills.”

I smirked. “Please. That wasn’t ninja. That was pure dog squad reflexes. You should’ve seen me before SWAT. Those guys never stood a chance.”

He chuckled, leaning against his locker. “Oh, I believe it. Honestly, it’s a little scary how fast you are. If I ever piss you off, I’m done for.”

I tilted my head, feigning thought. “Hmm… tempting. Might be worth it, just to see the look on your face.”

“Wow.” He clutched his chest dramatically. “Threatened in my own locker room. Harsh.”

Street, who’d just peeled his shirt off on the other side of the room, piped up, grinning. “You two done flirting, or should we give you a minute?”

Tan chuckled. Chris, tying her hair back into a ponytail, raised an eyebrow. “They’ve been doing this for months. Honestly, just get a room already.”

I threw my towel at her. “We’re not flirting! We’re just bantering.”

“Yeah” Street added, deadpan. “Bantering is what they call it now.”

That set everyone laughing. Even Deacon, who was usually the steady one, chuckled as he swapped his boots for sneakers. “You know, the way you two talk, anyone would think you’re already married.”

My face went hot, though I covered it with a laugh. “Okay, first of all, I’d never marry a guy who eats three breakfast burritos before 8 a.m. That’s just unhealthy.”

“Don’t knock greatness!” Luca shot back, grinning at me with that infuriating sparkle in his eyes.

The whole team cracked up again, voices echoing off the tiled walls. Hondo stepped in just then, helmet in hand, and looked around at all the laughing faces. “What’d I miss?”

“Just Y/n and Luca’s honeymoon phase.” Street quipped.

Hondo smirked, shaking his head. “Focus up. We’ve got training blocks tomorrow. Be here early.”

As the team started to disperse, Luca leaned down, his voice dropping low near my ear. “Don’t worry. I’ll save you a burrito tomorrow morning.”

I rolled my eyes, but my lips tugged up against my will.

---

The Next Day – Training Grounds

The sun was merciless, beating down on the blacktop training yard behind HQ. The air shimmered with heat rising from the asphalt. The clang of steel targets rang out, mingling with the thump of boots on obstacle-course platforms.

We’d split into pairs for drills, and of course, I got paired with Luca.

“Ready to get your ass kicked?” I teased.

He smirked, turning his cap backward in that lazy way that made him look younger and annoyingly good. “Oh, sweetheart, the only thing getting kicked today is your ego.”

I scoffed. “Big talk for someone who couldn’t even beat me at sparring last week.”

“That was a fluke.” He flashed me a grin as he adjusted his gloves. “Besides, I let you win. Gentleman’s code.”

I laughed outright. “Oh please, you couldn’t let me win if you tried. You were red in the face, sweating like crazy- ”

“I was not!”

“- and wheezing like you’d just run a marathon,” I added, smirking as we walked toward the shooting bay.

His chest rumbled with a laugh. “Yeah? Funny, ‘cause I still looked better doing it.”

I opened my mouth for another comeback but faltered. Because damn it. He wasn’t wrong.

The sun glistened on the sweat along his neck, rolling down into his shirt. His arms flexed as he adjusted his rifle, the muscles shifting with the motion. And that stupid backwards cap. Lord help me. It made him look effortlessly hot.

The thought hit me so hard I almost stumbled. Wait. What?

No. This is Luca.

Luca, who cracks dumb jokes and steals the last yogurt. Luca, who calls me “sweetheart” just to get a rise out of me.

So why the hell was my pulse skipping like this?

“You good?” His voice cut in, breaking me out of my thoughts. He was watching me, brows slightly furrowed.

I cleared my throat quickly, turning back to load my rifle. “Yeah. Fine. Just focused.”

He eyed me for a second longer, then smirked like he didn’t buy it. “Focused, huh? Alright. Show me what you got.”

We started the drill. Targets popped up, and we fired in sync, moving through the course. I was good, but so was he. We traded shots, clearing lanes, our voices overlapping as we called out.

“Left!” I shouted.

“Got it!” he answered, dropping the target with a clean shot.

By the end, both our rifles clicked empty, smoke curling from the barrels. My heart was hammering. Not just from the adrenaline, but from the way his smile widened as he pulled his helmet off, sweat dripping down his temple.

“Not bad, partner.” he said, tipping his cap at me.

I tried to play it cool, though my stomach was flipping. “You too. Almost like you know what you’re doing.”

“Almost.” He winked.

I groaned, but inside… something shifted.

For the first time, I realized it wasn’t just banter.

I found him attractive. And that scared me more than any mission ever could.

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Let me know, if anyone wants to be tagged in the next part!