TE

Y/N Bauxbaum never expected the military to become home. She certainly never expected North Bear Sterling to become the one person who could make it feel like one. They are rivals. Opposites. Two morally grey soldiers who would rather swallow broken glass than admit they care about each other. They don’t like being touched. They don’t seek comfort. They don’t trust easily. Except somehow, when it’s each other, every rule disappears. North Bear Sterling is supposed to be Y/N Bauxbaum’s enemy. So why is he always the first person beside her when things go wrong? Why does he quietly make her assignments easier? Why does he hold her weapon when her hand cramps during public service? Why does he reassure her after a superior tears into her for outperforming half the men around her? And why does Y/N Bauxbaum secretly let him? They’re soldiers. They’re rivals. They’re both far too stubborn to admit what’s happening. But somewhere between battlefield tension, whispered conversations, stolen touches, and protecting each other when nobody is watching, hatred starts becoming something much more dangerous. Love.