Gabriel stepped into the carriage, the quiet hum of conversation and the rhythmic clatter of footsteps on metal blending into the background. He paused just past the threshold, his breath catching in his throat.

It was nothing like he’d expected.

The interior resembled a grand salon more than a military transport. Elegant blue velvet armchairs lined both sides of the carriage, paired with polished walnut side tables and golden-shaded brass lamps. Tall windows framed by navy curtains spilled soft daylight across the thick navy carpet, woven with golden filigree that shimmered faintly beneath his feet. Crystal vases held delicate floral arrangements resting atop corner tables like forgotten luxury.

Gabriel’s steps slowed, almost reverent. He hadn’t expected beauty. Not here. Not on a train bound for danger. And yet here it was, calm and dignified, almost like the room was pretending they weren’t heading into missions that could kill them.

It felt like walking into a noble’s private drawing room on rails. Not a tactical deployment vehicle, but a haven of velvet and polished brass. The room radiated refinement, opulence,… serenity.

But the atmosphere was far from still.

Everyone here seemed to move with purpose. Espers stood in clusters, some chatting, some checking gear. Guides moved more quietly, tablets in hand or murmuring with teammates.

He let out a quiet breath, equal parts awed and overwhelmed. Gabriel’s fingers tightened around the strap of his bag.

He scanned the room for Sasha, hoping to catch a familiar face before anxiety fully took root. This was his first deployment outside the Academy. His first real mission. He was supposed to be ready, he’d memorized the theory, aced the training exercises, simulated this moment in his mind countless times but the reality of the situation was leaving him feeling unprepared. Out of place.

You’re okay, he told himself. You belong here.

Drawing in a slow, steadying breath, he stepped further into the carriage, weaving between seats, his head turning in search of Sasha. He didn’t get far.

A pair of arms suddenly wrapped around his waist, strong and unyielding, pulling him backward against a solid, warm chest.

“What...?!” Gabriel yelped, instinctively trying to break free, but the hold was firm and oddly gentle.

Gasps and murmurs rippled through the nearby crowd. Gabriel’s ears burned as the attention in the carriage abruptly shifted toward him. He felt dozens of eyes turn to watch, amusement and surprise flickering on their faces like candlelight.

No, no, no...

He was mortified. Held, not just touched but scooped up like he was light as air, and unceremoniously dropped onto someone’s lap. His body went rigid.

His breath caught in his throat. The carriage, so grand, so serene just moments ago, had turned into a stage. He was the main act.

And someone was enjoying it far too much.

He slowly turned his head to get a look at the person who had dared to touch him, glare already forming, and then he froze.

The man’s smile was all arrogance and charm, framed by a tousle of dark brown hair and sparkling hazel eyes that glinted with clear mischief. His uniform, deep midnight blue with the unmistakable red tie, marked him as an S-Class Esper. One of the strongest. One of the elite.

Gabriel’s stomach twisted.

He looked to be in his mid-to-late twenties, tall and lean, but with a broad chest and powerful arms that made Gabriel hyper-aware of exactly how and where he was being held.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” the man drawled lazily, voice low and rich, like it had been crafted to make people blush. “A cute little Guide on my lap. I could get used to this.”

Gabriel’s entire body stiffened further. Why me? Why now? his mind shouted in silent panic.

He knew he should push away, say something sharp, but his limbs weren’t listening. His brain was scrambled. He was being held, touched, teased by an Esper. A very tall, very smug, very handsome Esper.

This wasn’t just any Esper either. The rank insignia similar to Sasha’s gave it away.

Of course.

The man’s arms didn’t just hold him; they draped possessively around his waist, strong fingers splayed comfortably across Gabriel’s hips like they belonged there. Gabriel’s heart thudded against his ribs so loudly he was certain it was audible.

“I... excuse me!” Gabriel finally managed to choke out, bracing himself against the man’s chest as he tried to stand.

But the Esper only laughed softly and pulled him back down, not forcefully, just firmly enough to make it clear he wasn’t letting go. “Whoa, easy now,” he said with an infuriatingly calm smile. “You’re going to hurt my feelings.”

Gabriel flushed scarlet. “Y-Your feelings?”

The man tilted his head. “It’s the only seat left, kitten. Unless you’d rather ride in someone else’s lap?”

Gabriel opened his mouth. Closed it again. This can’t be real.

From the corner of his eye, he caught the way several nearby Espers were watching, smirking, whispering behind their hands. His embarrassment deepened, and he tried again to squirm out of the grip, but the man was unbothered, entirely too relaxed with the way he had him wrapped up.

Gabriel turned his head sharply to glare. “Let me go. Now.”

Hazel eyes met his with a flicker of delight. “You’ve got a fire in you,” he said with a grin. “Even cuter up close. What’s your name?”

“None of your business,” Gabriel snapped.

The man chuckled. “That’s not very polite.”

“You kidnapped me into your lap!”

“Not kidnapped, rescued. This train’s packed, sweetheart. I couldn’t let you stand.”

Gabriel’s jaw dropped. “I wasn’t standing! I was walking!”

“Well,” the Esper replied, expression unchanging, “your legs aren’t doing much walking right now.”

Gabriel’s brain stuttered at that, torn between fury and the heat rising in his face.

“I-It’s not appropriate,” he managed to say, his voice wobbling with frustration.

The Esper leaned in a little closer, his breath warm against Gabriel’s cheek. “I promise I don’t bite…”

Gabriel stiffened, the protest forming on his lips dying when the man added in a lower, silkier tone:

“…unless you want me to.”

And then he kissed him. A soft press of lips to his cheek. Casual. Light. Infuriating.

Gabriel gasped, a mix of horror and panic lighting up every nerve in his body. His hands flew up to cover his face.

Low murmurs sparked and multiplied like wildfire.

“Oh my god, did he just kiss him?”

“Classic Leo. Never misses a chance.”

A loud whistle rang out from the left side of the carriage. Someone clapped. Another Esper snorted.

Gabriel wanted to scream. Or vanish. Or throw himself into the engine room. Or maybe all three in that order.

I’m going to die, Gabriel thought. Right here. Death by humiliation.

The heat in his face spread to his ears, down his neck, blooming across his chest like he was being roasted alive. He was done. Humiliated. Manhandled. Kissed. Mocked. And still pinned like some ridiculous prize on this idiot’s lap.

Leonardo didn’t seem to mind the audience at all. If anything, he looked entertained.

“I have to say,” the man murmured close to his ear, “you’re even more adorable than I imagined. And now that you’re on my lap, I really don’t want to let you go.”

Gabriel finally snapped.

“You absolute...! Let. Me. Go!” he half-shouted, trying to wrench free once more.

“Oh, you’ve got a mouth on you,” the Esper said, clearly enjoying himself. “That’s fine. I like a challenge.”

“Look at them go,” someone whispered a little too loudly. “Sasha’s gonna flip his sh...”

“Leonardo Ricci.”

The voice cut through the carriage like a blade dipped in liquid nitrogen.

Instant silence.

Gabriel barely had time to register the voice before he was snatched right off Leonardo’s lap with the force of a mother wolf reclaiming her cub. He stumbled backward into a chest that was warm, solid, and blessedly safe.

Sasha.

The older man’s arm curled protectively around Gabriel’s shoulder, the other placed firmly in front of him like a barrier of judgmental fury. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes were pure threat.

Leonardo looked up at him, entirely unbothered.

“If I see you touch one of my teammates like that again,” Sasha said with terrifying calm, “I will personally castrate you.”

The pause was deliberate.

“With my bare hands.”

No one in the carriage so much as breathed.

Gabriel, meanwhile, stood like a deer caught in headlights. He couldn’t tell if his heart was racing from lingering panic or the aftershock of Sasha’s rescue. Possibly both.

Leonardo leaned back slowly, the ghost of a smirk still clinging to his lips. “Relax, Sasha,” he said, lazily crossing one leg over the other. “Just having a bit of fun.”

“Pick someone else for your games,” Sasha growled, keeping Gabriel securely behind him. “Gabriel isn’t available.”

Leonardo raised a brow. “No need to be jealous..."

Sasha interrupted him, his glare sharp enough to etch through steel. “I dare you to finish that sentence.”

Leonardo, remarkably, didn’t. He did, however, glance past Sasha to wink at Gabriel with that infuriating, effortless charm.

“When you’re ready to escape the Sasha Shield,” he said smoothly, “come find me, kitten.”

Gabriel wished someone would hurl Leonardo out the window or that the floor would open up and swallow him whole.

As Sasha turned with a scowl still etched on his face, pulling Gabriel away from the center of attention, the crowd slowly resumed breathing. Murmurs resumed, but they were hushed now, cautious. No one wanted to test Sasha’s patience further.

Leonardo watched them go, the smirk slipping just slightly from his face.

He’d expected the Guide to be flustered, maybe to blush and stammer, maybe even play along with his charm, after a few rounds of teasing. But this? Gabriel hadn’t just resisted, he had panicked. Actually panicked.

Leonardo leaned forward, elbows on his knees, his gaze following the Guide’s retreating figure. Slim shoulders, trembling a little under Sasha’s hand. Wide eyes, flushed face, fists clenched tight around the strap of his bag.

That hadn’t been cute. That had been genuine fear.

And yet, there was something else there too, something behind Gabriel’s angry glare, behind the panic. Something that didn’t quite look like disgust.

Interest, maybe?

No. It wasn't time to guess. Not yet.

Leonardo dragged a hand through his hair and leaned back with a sigh. He wasn’t proud of himself. It had started as harmless teasing, sure, but he’d crossed a line. He could feel it in the way Gabriel had stiffened in his arms, the way his hands trembled even now. That reaction had rattled him. He’d made a mess of things already—and that, too, was new. And yet, for some reason, he didn’t want to move on like he usually did.

Something about Gabriel stuck with him. Which meant, for once, he might actually have to try.

“You okay, Commander Romeo?” one Esper teased.

Leonardo scowled.

“Ooh, rejection burns,” another quipped.

Leonardo glared. “Shut up.”

The taunting quieted, but not before a few smirks were exchanged behind gloved hands. He didn’t care.

Not really.

Okay, maybe a little.

Still, he couldn’t take his eyes off Gabriel. There was something fragile in that boy. Not weak, just… raw. Like porcelain under stress. And Leonardo had dropped him right into the spotlight, knowing full well how suffocating that could be.

Very smooth, Ricci, he thought bitterly.