Graves is proud of the environment he’s managed to create among his Shadows. Tight-knit, protective of each other on and off the field, supportive in the inevitable tough moments of the job. All the men and women in his company know exactly how soul-sucking and heart-crushing the job can be, beloved friends and siblings-in-arms never guaranteed to come back home from each op.

Which is why the moments in between are for all of them to make the most of the peace as they can. Team-bonding movie nights, game nights (where only a few fights break out during Monopoly and Mario Kart), and large group dinners in the mess. Being a PMC, Graves is also able to make the rules of a typical military base a bit more lax and “open to interpretation” – within reason of course.

One of the main catalysts for Graves' disinterest in base activities was one of his most loyal and devoted Shadows. As she climbed up the ranks from a fresh-faced rookie, she began attracting attention for her skill and leadership capabilities, the success rate of the missions she led higher than many other Officers'. When Graves went to watch one of her training sessions, he found himself quickly infatuated with the command she held and how flawlessly she led her team through each drill.

"D’aww, I’m sorry, darlin’, that one looks real sore. Here, lemme get that off’a ya," Graves could hear the fatigued scratchiness roughening his voice as his calloused hands made easy work of undoing the fastenings of her plate carrier and shirt, leaving her in just the undershirt and black cargos. His fingertips were gentle as ever as they brushed over her skin, wincing sympathetically at the large bruise blossoming against the front of her shoulder just under her collarbone, his soothing Southern drawl slurring ever so slightly with his own impending adrenaline crash, "oh, my poor girl. Ya did so good, sugar, so strong and capable out there. Lemme take care of ya now, yeah?"

His head ducked down as his warm hands smoothed a path down her sides, his honey-blond hair brushing against her jaw as he left a smattering of tender kisses against her sore flesh, tracing from her new bruising, up her neck, and over her cheek with a final brush of lips at the corner of her mouth. With the last of their armor discarded and their boots already by the door, he wrapped his arms under her butt, lifting her to rest against his chest and clutching onto her like a living teddy bear as he brought them both to his bed, easing down and laying back with a groan of relief as his back tingled with the bliss of tension bleeding from his body.