The job was simple on paper.
Escort and observation.
But with two people—
It changed.
Kael handled physical presence.
Positioning.
Awareness of surroundings.
Andres handled patterns.
Routes.
Subtle inconsistencies.
Together—
The task became smoother.
More efficient.
At one point, Kael glanced at him.
"You don't miss much."
Andres didn't respond.
But internally—
He adjusted.
Working with someone else required control of information.
Not everything needed to be shown.
Not everything needed to be hidden.
Balance.
When the job ended, the reward was split evenly.
No argument.
No tension.
"…You're not bad," Kael said.
Andres nodded slightly.
"You're acceptable."
Kael laughed.
"High praise."
But beneath the humor—
There was understanding.
This wasn't friendship yet.
But it was something close.
Something that could grow.