König was delighted to hear the news of your decision to join KorTac.

The first order of business was moving you to another room—one that was closer to the hub of the base. He gave you a brief tour of the necessary things, such as the kitchen, the common area, and the gym.

You were also given back the gear and belongings that had been taken from you, though you noticed a few things missing—rather important things.

Photos of your family, specifically your mother, two siblings, and the family dog.

They'd been stuffed in your bag along with your gear for the longest time, always there when you needed a reminder of home. Knowing that someone had stolen them felt like a punch to the gut, but there wasn't much you could do about it at the moment. It was late, and König had most likely retired to his quarters by now.

As a distraction, you decided to head to the kitchen and find something to eat.

After rummaging around in the cupboards and sifting through boxes of cereal and whatnot marked with DO NOT TOUCH scribbled on sticky notes, you managed to find a sleeve of powdered donuts. However, it sat on the top shelf, mocking you as if it somehow knew you couldn't reach it.

You were determined, though—and hungry.

You clambered onto the counter, balancing on your knees as you straightened up and reached for the donuts.

"What are you doing?"

König's voice scared the shit out of you. You felt your stomach plummet as you lost your balance and leaned backwards with a gasp. Before you could fall, however, a strong pair of arms caught you and held you steady.

You tilted your head back, heart pounding in your chest when your gaze met König's. Great, now you looked like a fool.

"Are you alright?" König asked, concern evident in his tone.

You slowly exhaled in an attempt to calm yourself, praying the heat rising to your cheeks wasn't visible. "Yeah... I'm okay."

König's eyes creased a bit from a hidden smile. He lifted you off the counter and carefully set you down.

"You could have fallen and gotten hurt, Liebling." He said, gazing softly down at you before looking up at the open cupboard. "What were you trying to reach?"

The entire situation made you feel ridiculous. He'd caught you climbing on the counter, then saved you from busting your ass on the floor. Now you had to tell him that this was all for a package of donuts.

"Those donuts." You admitted, pointing at the sleeve on the top shelf.

"Oh! I forgot I put them there." König reached for the donuts.

"Wait— are they yours?"

König paused and glanced back. "Ja. Why?"

You waved your hand dismissively. "I don't want to take them if they're yours. I can find something else."

"It's no problem. I'll share them with you."

"You don't have to do that."

"No, I don't, but I want to." König took the donuts and offered them to you. "Please. Take them."

God, you just wanted to curl up in a ball and disappear. Part of you wished you had just stayed in your room and avoided the embarrassment altogether.

König tilted his head when he noticed your expression. He hadn't meant to make you feel pressured or embarrassed. Seeing that you weren't going to say anything, he spoke up.

"Why don't we eat it together, then?" He suggested. "I know a nice place where we can sit and not be bothered."

You chewed on the inside of your cheek, wanting to accept his offer but also not wanting to make more of a fool out of yourself.

Ah, fuck it. You needed to stop overthinking about everything.

"Lead the way." You said, smiling politely at him.

König took you through a door that led to an outside patio. Although the seating options were sparse, it was situated on a nice hill with a good view of the night sky.

You sat down in the grass and König settled beside you. The rustling of plastic briefly filled the silence as he opened the sleeve of donuts and offered one to you, the tips of his fingers dusted white with powder.

Thanking him quietly, you took the donut and easily popped the entire thing in your mouth, though powder got everywhere as a result. You heard König chuckling as you brushed yourself off.

"What's so funny?" You asked, a teasing gleam in your eyes.

König looked away. "Nothing."

You hummed softly to yourself and turned your attention to the stars. It was a clear night, no clouds in sight to block the view of the twinkling stars. You couldn't remember the last time you were able to do this.

"Do you come out here often?" You asked him once the question popped into your mind.

"Sometimes." König replied. "It's nice to have company, though."

Something brushed against your hand, making your heart flutter. You glanced down and saw König's hand resting next to yours, marveling at the size difference. Your eyes flicked up to him, then back down as you slowly slid your hand over his.

His gaze remained skyward, though he turned his hand over and intertwined his fingers with yours. His hand was warm, comforting against the slight chill of the evening air. You thought your heart would leap out of your chest.

Feeling more emboldened, though still cautious, you moved closer to him and laid your head against his shoulder with a soft sigh. He looked down at you, his eyes gleaming fondly as he observed how comfortable you'd become around him. There was no need for words, you could almost read each other's minds.

He slipped his hand away from yours and instead slid his arm around your waist, pulling you close as he laid back against the hill. You moved with him, sticking close to his side and holding his hand in both of yours. You could feel the heat radiating off of him like a furnace.

"Is this comfortable for you, Liebling?"

Your thumb rubbed circles into his palm. You were perfectly content.

"Tell me what that means and I'll answer." You lightly teased.

König let out a sigh, then shifted more onto his side so he was facing you. "It can mean a lot of things, but... it is mainly a term of endearment." He explained, hesitant to tell the whole truth.

"How did you mean it, then?"

"I.. ah... meant it in the same way one would use love or darling."

You found it cute when he ducked his head down, obviously flustered that he was admitting this to you. Smiling, you reached over and gently held the side of his face through his sniper hood.

"That's very sweet of you, König." You said, feeling heat rise to your cheeks as you gazed at him. "I am very comfortable."

He leaned into your touch, eyes creasing from a hidden smile, his feelings for you confirmed. No one needed to know his little secret, though he didn't care if someone found out. If they gave him trouble, he'd deal with it accordingly.

And god help them if they gave you trouble.