Title: Lines We Shouldn’t Cross
The mission had been a disaster.
Y/N’s head was still spinning from the adrenaline, her hands shaking as she peeled off her gloves in the debriefing room. The enemy had been more aggressive than expected, the firefight lasting longer than it should have. And at the heart of it all was the moment Brimstone had nearly lost her.
She wasn’t even thinking—just reacting—when she stepped into the line of fire to take out a hostile that had Brimstone in their sights. The next second, she was on the ground, ears ringing, vision blurring, a sharp pain slicing through her leg. She’d only been grazed, but the way Brimstone had reacted…
That was something she hadn’t expected.
He’d been on her in an instant, his hands pressing against the wound, his voice rougher than usual, something like fear flashing across his face. And even now, back at base, he hadn’t looked at her once.
The room was nearly empty when he finally spoke.
“You’re off missions until further notice.”
Y/N’s head snapped up. “What?”
Brimstone’s expression was unreadable, his arms crossed over his broad chest. “You’re too reckless. You don’t have enough experience yet. If I hadn’t been there, you could’ve—” He exhaled sharply. “You’re done for now.”
Her pulse spiked, anger flaring in her chest. “That’s bullshit, and you know it.”
“It’s not up for discussion.”
“No, see, I think it is.” She pushed herself to her feet, stepping closer. “I did my job. I covered you. That’s what we do out there.”
Brimstone’s jaw tightened. “You shouldn’t have put yourself in danger for me.”
“You would’ve done the same thing.”
Silence.
His eyes met hers then, dark and stormy, but she wasn’t backing down.
“Be straight with me,” she demanded. “Because this isn’t about the mission, is it?”
Brimstone’s fingers twitched at his sides. He was always so composed, always in control. But right now, Y/N could see the cracks.
She stepped even closer, enough to feel the heat of him. “Why do you care so much?”
He clenched his jaw. “Go to your quarters, agent.”
The way he said it, the way his voice dipped lower, sent a shiver down her spine. But she wasn’t done.
“Say it,” she whispered. “Say what you’re really thinking.”
His breath was sharp, ragged. For a moment, she thought he was going to walk away. But then—
He moved.
Fast.
One second there was space between them, and the next, her back was against the wall, Brimstone towering over her, caging her in. His hands gripped the wall on either side of her head, his body so close she could feel every inch of him.
“This is why,” he growled. “Because every time you step onto that battlefield, all I can think about is what happens if you don’t make it back.”
Her breath hitched.
Brimstone’s eyes burned into hers, filled with something dark, something he’d clearly been holding back for too long. “You’re twenty-one, Y/N. I’m over forty. This shouldn’t be happening.”
She swallowed hard. “And yet, here we are.”
His fists clenched. “You don’t understand—”
She cut him off, her voice steady. “I understand just fine. You’re the one making it complicated.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. He looked at her like he was fighting a war with himself. Then—slowly, hesitantly—one of his hands left the wall, his fingers brushing over her hip. Just a test, just a taste of what he was denying himself.
Her breath caught.
That was all it took.
The next second, his mouth was on hers—hot, demanding, desperate. She gasped against his lips, her hands flying to his shirt, gripping the fabric as if that could bring him closer. And he let her, groaning into the kiss, pressing her back against the wall, his other hand finding her waist, rough and possessive.
This wasn’t careful. This wasn’t slow. This was weeks—months—of tension finally snapping like a live wire.
Brimstone’s lips trailed down her jaw, his breath hot against her skin. “Tell me to stop,” he murmured against her throat.
She tilted her head back, her fingers tangling in his hair. “Not a fucking chance.”
That was all he needed.
He lifted her easily, gripping her thighs as he pressed her against the wall. She wrapped herself around him, heat pooling low in her stomach as his mouth found hers again, as his hands roamed, as she felt the full weight of everything he had been holding back.
There were lines they shouldn’t cross.
But right now?
They were obliterating them.