Mhok's POV
Sadness doesn't arrive loudly.
It settles like dust.
Days pass and I move through them on instinct. I just Wake up. Train. Do Patrol. Report. Eat because I must, sleep because my body demands it.
Everything resumes its old shape, but it feels hollow, like someone scooped the center out and forgot to tell me.
Rome had survived. That should have been enough.
Everyone says it is.
I tell myself it is.
Still, when I close my eyes at night, I see blood on white fabric. Hear gunfire echo where laughter should be. My hands remember the weight of a body I never even touched that day.
Routine has become my shield. If I keep moving, thinking won't catch up.
That's why I don't hear him at first.
I'm in my room, sitting on the edge of the bed, boots still on, staring at nothing.
The door is closed. The house is quiet. Too quiet.
And suddenly I hear a voice that felt more real than my dreams.
I look up.
Rome is there.
Sitting on the sofa like he owns the space. Like he has always been there. His shoulder and arm resting carefully, posture relaxed in a way that fools everyone except me.
My chest tightens so suddenly it almost hurts.
"Why are you here?" I ask.
My voice comes out flat.
He studies me, eyes slow, unreadable. "That's your first question? It hurts me mhok! "
"It's the only one that matters."
He smiles faintly. "You didn't even ask if I'm okay."
I stand up. Distance. I need distance. I should keep distance from him.. "You shouldn't be moving around yet."
"And you shouldn't be avoiding me," he replies.
I walk past him toward the door. "You should leave."
"Mhok."
He says my name softly. Like it's something fragile.
That's when it snaps.
He's suddenly in front of me. Too close. Close enough that I can smell the faint antiseptic under his cologne. Close enough to see the shadow of exhaustion beneath his eyes.
"Don't," I warn.
He doesn't listen.
He just leans in.
I don't know who moves first.
Our lips meet in a brief, almost accidental brush. I intend it to be a mistake, something I can step away from and pretend never happened.
I pull back immediately.
"I said-"
He grabs my waist. Before I can react, he pulls me back and kisses me again.
This time, there is nothing to say accidental about it.
His mouth is warm, insistent, unyielding. The kiss deepens with a hunger that feels like it's been waiting far too long. His other hand presses against my back, anchoring me there, closing every escape route.
My thoughts scatter.
Heat floods my chest, my neck, my face. His breath mingles with mine. The world narrows to pressure and proximity and the way his lips move like they've memorized mine.
I should stop him.
But I didn't.
For a few dangerous seconds, I let myself feel it. The pull. The want. The need. The way my body responds before my mind can catch up.
Then I shove him back.
So hard that even I forgot he was hurt. But i just pulled him back to my chest in force before he hits somewhere.
"What the hell are you doing?" I snap.
He looks at me like I've just taken something from him. His breathing is uneven, eyes dark, jaw tight.
"You kissed me back," he says quietly.
My breathing was ragged and my mind? Don't even ask about it. If it exists, I wouldn't even be in this situation now.
"That doesn't mean anything." I said quietly.
"It means everything to me." he counters.
I turn toward the door to leave.
The lock clicks as Rome closed the door.
I freeze.
"Open it," I demanded.
"No." his smile was intact, but i knew it was just for showing his nonchalancy now.
I whirl around. "Rome."
"What's wrong with you?" he asks, frustration breaking through his calm. "You act like this is a crime."
"It is." I shout as though my wall is breaking.
"That's not an answer. That doesn't explains anything mhok!" rome says calmly.
I laugh humorless. "You want reasons? Fine."
I step closer, pointing at his chest. "You are the son of my boss."
His expression hardens.
"And I am your bodyguard," I continue. "I am here to protect you. Not want you. Not kiss you. Not-cross lines that were drawn long before either of us had a choice."
"Those are rules, mhok," he says. "Not laws."
"They might as well be," Silence crashes between us.
He runs a hand through his hair, exhaling slowly. "Is that really all this is to you? Just your Duty?"
I look away.
If I look at him any longer, I will break. My promises will break, everything that I built hard for years will break, and it won't even take seconds for him to do that.
"You don't understand," I say. My voice lowers. It Fractures. "If something happens to you... if I'm the reason... I won't survive that."
His tone softens. "Mhok..."
"No," I interrupt. "This can't happen. It shouldn't have happened."
I unlock the door, my hands trembling.
"This ends here."
I step out without looking back.
Behind me, the door stays closed.
And for the first time, I don't know whether I'm protecting him... or destroying us both.
Either way, it's good for him.