Soldier's secret

4. ~His touch on my skin~

(2am 🎧)

The days turned into weeks, and the rhythm of my life changed entirely. Every morning, I met Enzo in the woods. He pushed me harder than I had ever pushed myself, and I was growing stronger—physically and mentally. But something else was changing too. Enzo and I were no longer strangers. He started opening up in small ways, letting little bits of his past slip through. At first, it was just in passing, but over time, I could feel a shift between us.

We began talking more during breaks. At first, it was tkabout training—my progress, the skills I was learning—but slowly, it became personal. He shared stories of his own training, about the tough choices he had to make when he was younger. I listened carefully, realizing that he had been through things far darker than I had ever imagined. It made him more human, less of the mysterious figure I had initially feared. And as much as I hated to admit it, I found myself thinking about him even after our training sessions ended.

One evening, after an especially grueling day, I sat on a fallen log, catching my breath. Enzo stood a few feet away, leaning against a tree, his usual serious expression softened by exhaustion.

"You're getting better," he said, his voice quiet. "Much better."

"Thanks," I replied, wiping the sweat from my forehead. "I have a good teacher."

He chuckled, but it was a low, almost self-deprecating sound. "I'm not a teacher. Not really."

I raised an eyebrow. "Then what are you?"

For a moment, he didn't answer, his eyes fixed on the ground. When he finally spoke, his voice was softer than usual. "I'm someone who's seen too much. Done too much. Teaching you is... different. It's helping me remember why I started all this in the first place."

I didn't know what to say to that. There was a sadness in his words, something deeper than I had expected. For the first time, I realized just how much he was hiding. And for some reason, I wanted to know more.

"Enzo..." I hesitated, unsure of how to approach this. "You don't have to carry everything alone, you know. Whatever it is, whatever you've been through..."

He looked up at me, his dark eyes searching mine, and for a second, it felt like time stopped. There was something in his gaze—something vulnerable, unguarded—that made my heart race. But just as quickly as it had appeared, the moment was gone. He looked away, the walls coming back up.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said, turning to leave.

"Enzo, wait," I called after him, standing up.

He paused but didn't turn around.

"I just... I want you to know that I appreciate everything you're doing. And I don't think you're as lost as you think you are."

He stood there for a long moment, and I thought maybe I had pushed too far. But then, without looking back, he said, "Get some rest. You'll need it." And with that, he disappeared into the woods.

---

The next day, something had shifted between us. We trained like usual, but there was an unspoken tension, a current of something new lingering in the air. I could feel it whenever our eyes met, whenever his hands guided mine during a demonstration. It wasn't just about the training anymore—there was something deeper, something neither of us was willing to acknowledge yet.

We were sparring that morning, practicing hand-to-hand combat. Enzo was holding back, testing my reflexes, pushing me to think on my feet. But then, something changed. Maybe it was the heat of the moment, or maybe it was the pent-up energy from all the days of training, but I threw a punch with more force than I intended. Enzo dodged it, barely, and the next thing I knew, he had me pinned against a tree, his arm across my chest, our faces inches apart.

My heart pounded in my chest, not just from the exertion, but from how close he was. I could feel his breath on my skin, see the intensity in his eyes. For a moment, neither of us moved. The world seemed to narrow down to just the space between us.

"You're getting better," he whispered, his voice low and rough.

"Yeah?" I breathed, my voice shakier than I intended.

His gaze dropped to my lips for a fraction of a second, and my stomach twisted with a feeling I couldn't quite name. But then, just as quickly, he stepped back, releasing me. The moment broke, and he turned away, running a hand through his messy black hair.

"We should stop for today," he said, his voice tense.

I nodded, trying to calm my racing heart. "Yeah, probably."

But as we packed up and headed back toward the edge of the woods, I couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed between us—something we weren't quite ready to confront yet.

---

Days passed, and the tension between us only grew. It was subtle at first—small, lingering touches during training, the way his eyes lingered on mine a little too long. But it was there, undeniable. And no matter how much we tried to ignore it, it only seemed to intensify.

One evening, after a particularly long session, we sat by the edge of the clearing, the sky turning shades of orange and pink as the sun set. I leaned back on my elbows, exhausted but content, watching the light filter through the trees. Enzo sat beside me, unusually quiet.

"Why did you really start this?" I asked softly, breaking the silence.

He glanced at me, then back at the horizon. "What do you mean?"

"Training me. Helping me. There's more to it than just 'paying it forward,' isn't there?"

He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "Yeah... there is."

For a moment, he said nothing, and I thought maybe he wouldn't answer. But then he spoke, his voice quiet, almost vulnerable.

"I was lost, for a long time. I didn't know who I was, what I was supposed to do." He paused, his gaze softening as he looked at me. "But meeting you... it's different. You make me want to be... better."

My breath caught in my throat. His words, his honesty—it was more than I had expected. More than I was ready for. But before I could respond, he turned to face me fully, his eyes locking onto mine.

"And I think somewhere along the way, I started falling for you."

The words hung in the air between us, heavy and real. My heart pounded, my mind racing. I hadn't realized it until that moment, but I had started falling for him too. I swallowed hard, unsure of what to say, unsure if I was ready for this.

But then, slowly, I leaned forward, closing the distance between us. I pressed my lips to his, gently at first, testing the waters. His breath hitched, but after a heartbeat, he kissed me back, his hand coming up to cup the side of my face. It was soft, hesitant, but filled with all the emotions we had been holding back.

When we finally pulled apart, we were both breathless, our foreheads resting against each other. Neither of us said a word, but we didn't need to. The look in his eyes told me everything I needed to know.

This was real.

And it was only the beginning.

words:1294🫢🍻