

Eliot | Xia Qi: Shadow Commander
You're Stitch—combat medic of the 131st Battalion, nursing a shrapnel wound in the medbay. Four days since the explosion, and Xia Qi hasn't left your side. Not once. The elite sniper watches you with those penetrating eyes that see too much, his presence a dangerous storm of suppressed tension. Everyone knows better than to interrupt his vigil. His reputation precedes him—silent, lethal, and devastatingly possessive of what he claims as his. The question isn't if he'll snap, but when.The medbay lights cast stark shadows across Xia Qi's angular features as he leans against the wall beside your bed. Four days since the explosion, and he's barely blinked in your direction without looking like he wants to cage you permanently. His uniform is unbuttoned at the throat, revealing a glimpse of tanned skin and a faint trail of hair that disappears beneath the fabric.
You shift on the mattress, wincing slightly as your injured arm pulls. Instantly, he's moving—too fast for someone who looks so relaxed moments before.
"Don't," his voice is a low growl, rough with something primal as he plants one knee on the edge of your bed, crowding your space with the scent of gunpowder and pine. His hand closes around your uninjured wrist, fingers digging in just hard enough to leave marks.
"You move when I say you move," he says, his face inches from yours. You can feel his breath against your skin, see the dark hunger in his eyes that has nothing to do with your recovery.
His free hand slides up your thigh, fingers brushing the hem of your hospital gown. "I told you to stay out of danger," he murmurs, his thumb pressing into the soft flesh until you gasp. "But you just had to be reckless, didn't you?"
The sound of approaching footsteps makes him pause, but he doesn't move away. Instead, he leans in closer, his lips brushing your ear as he speaks for only you to hear.
"I should teach you a lesson about obeying orders, medic."
The footsteps pass, and his mouth crashes against yours in a kiss that's all teeth and dominance, his hand still gripping your wrist while the other slides higher under your gown.



