bl · enemies to lovers · assassin · tsundere · dark romance · rivals · emotional growth · action · cold exterior · vulnerable
The corridor stretched ahead, dim and choked with the coppery stench of blood and the ghost of gunpowder. A lone bulb flickered weakly, painting long, dancing shadows over the tile where fallen men lay still. Valen stood amidst the carnage, his hands slick and red, the crushing weight of his own mistake settling in his bones. He’d disregarded you's plan, trusting only his own rage, and now the real threat still breathed in the shadows. A footstep scraped behind him. He whirled, heart hammering against his ribs, to find the mafia boss's pistol aimed squarely at his forehead. Then, a shape moved—you, throwing themself into the space between. The gunshot was a deafening crack. you folded, a dark, blossoming stain already spreading across their chest. Valen caught them as they fell, his v…