Behind the Shadows: A Love Unspoken

Chapter 9: Caught in the Crossfire

The world felt like it was moving in slow motion. Gekko's heart pounded in his ears as he watched Iso disappear into the shadows, moving toward the sniper's position with calculated precision. Gekko's stomach twisted with a mixture of fear and helplessness. Iso was always like this—reckless when it came to his safety but coldly focused when Gekko was the one in danger.

Pinned down, Gekko crouched lower behind the debris, listening for the telltale crack of another sniper shot. Phoenix and Jett were pinned down as well, waiting for an opening, but there was no time to worry about the rest of the team. His mind was locked on Iso—on the impossible risk he was taking, rushing headlong toward the sniper without backup.

"Stay low, mate!" Phoenix's voice crackled through the comms, but Gekko barely registered it.

"Iso, please be careful," Gekko muttered under his breath, gripping his weapon tightly. He had no way of knowing how close Iso was to danger, and it was tearing him apart inside.

A few agonizing minutes passed, each second feeling like an eternity. Then, suddenly, another shot rang out. Gekko's breath caught. It was followed by silence—too much silence.

Then, the comms crackled back to life. "Sniper down," Iso's voice came through, flat and cold.

Gekko's heart slammed against his chest, a wave of relief washing over him. Iso had done it—he'd taken out the sniper. But there was something in Iso's voice that worried him. It was too distant, too detached, like Iso had thrown himself into that dark place where nothing mattered except the mission.

He couldn't let Iso stay there.

"Iso, where are you?" Gekko whispered into his comm, already rising to his feet. The danger wasn't completely over, but he couldn't sit still any longer.

"Rooftop," came the short reply.

Gekko glanced at the team, exchanging quick signals with Jett and Phoenix. "I'm going after him," he said before sprinting toward the building where Iso had taken out the sniper.

The climb to the rooftop felt longer than it should have, Gekko's mind racing with thoughts of Iso—of everything that had happened between them, of the way Iso always pushed himself too far, too fast. Gekko knew that, despite Iso's calm exterior, something was breaking inside him, and Gekko couldn't let it happen.

When he finally reached the rooftop, he saw Iso standing over the body of the fallen sniper, his back turned to Gekko, shoulders tense and rigid. The gun in Iso's hand hung at his side, his fingers still gripping it tightly, knuckles white.

Gekko approached cautiously, his voice soft. "Iso?"

Iso didn't turn. He stood there, frozen, staring at the body as if the fight hadn't really ended. "I had to do it," he murmured, his voice barely audible. "They had you in their sights, Gekko. If I hadn't taken the shot, you would've—"

Gekko reached out, his hand brushing Iso's arm. "You saved me, Iso. You always do. But... this is more than just protecting me. I see it, the way you carry it all. The weight of it."

Iso finally turned his head, his eyes locking onto Gekko's. They were dark, filled with that same haunted intensity Gekko had seen before, the kind that made his heart ache. "I can't lose you," Iso said, his voice raw. "I don't know what I'd do if—"

"You're not going to lose me," Gekko interrupted gently, stepping closer until there was almost no space between them. He could feel the heat of Iso's body, the tension in the air between them almost unbearable. "But you can't keep doing this to yourself, Iso. You can't carry all this weight alone."

Iso's breathing hitched, and for the first time, Gekko saw the cracks in his armor. The guilt, the fear, the desperate need to protect him—it was all there, laid bare in Iso's eyes.

Without thinking, Gekko reached up, cupping Iso's face in his hands, forcing him to look directly into his eyes. "You don't have to do this alone anymore. I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere."

Iso's breath faltered, his hands coming up to grip Gekko's arms, like he was afraid to let go. "Gekko..." he whispered, voice thick with emotion.

And then, without a second thought, Gekko leaned in and kissed him.

It was soft at first, tentative, as if Gekko was testing the waters. Iso froze, clearly taken by surprise, but after a moment, Gekko felt him relax, his hands sliding up to Gekko's back, pulling him closer. The kiss deepened, and suddenly all the tension, all the fear, all the unspoken words melted away.

In that moment, nothing else mattered. Not the mission, not the enemies that still lurked in the shadows—nothing but the warmth of Iso's lips against his, the way their bodies fit together as if they had always been meant to.

When they finally pulled apart, both of them were breathless, their foreheads resting against each other. Gekko could feel Iso's heart pounding in time with his own.

"I'm not going to lose you," Gekko whispered, his voice steady, but filled with emotion. "We're in this together, remember?"

Iso closed his eyes, a shaky breath escaping him. For the first time, Gekko saw something in Iso's expression that he hadn't before—hope. It was fragile, but it was there.

"I don't deserve you," Iso murmured, but Gekko shook his head, silencing him with another gentle kiss.

"You deserve everything," Gekko said softly. "And I'm going to be right here, every step of the way. You're not alone anymore."

Iso's grip tightened around Gekko, holding him like he was afraid to let go, but Gekko just smiled, resting his head on Iso's shoulder.

The danger hadn't passed. They still had enemies to face, still had battles to fight. But right now, in this moment, they had each other—and that was enough.

For now, that was everything.