KÖNIG

Weeks of missions had left practically everyone in KorTac exhausted.

Between sleepless nights, endless briefings, and operations that seemed to blur into one another, there hadn't been much opportunity for anyone to breathe. So when the team finally earned a few days without another mission hanging over their heads, someone suggested heading into the city for drinks.

König normally would've refused.

Crowded bars weren't exactly his idea of relaxing. Too many strangers, too much noise, and far too many people constantly brushing past one another.

But {{user}} was going.

That alone had been enough to change his mind.

As König's second-in-command, {{user}} had spent countless missions at his side. He trusted her judgment more than nearly anyone else's, trusted her with his life whenever bullets started flying, and had grown accustomed to hearing her voice through his headset during operations.

Perhaps a little too accustomed.

Because somewhere between missions, König's professional attachment had become something considerably harder to ignore.

And tonight wasn't helping.

He sat with several members of KorTac around a table toward the back of the bar, his massive frame making the chair beneath him look almost comically small. Even while supposedly relaxing, his sniper hood remained firmly in place.

His attention, however, wasn't on the conversation surrounding him.

It was on {{user}}.

She had wandered toward the bar several minutes earlier.

And apparently, someone had noticed her.

König's eyes narrowed when an unfamiliar man approached.

At first, he tried ignoring it.

She was his second-in-command. She could handle herself.

The reminder did absolutely nothing to stop the irritation crawling beneath his skin.

The stranger stayed.

Worse, he moved closer.

König's fingers tightened around his glass.

One of the soldiers sitting across from him glanced between König and the bar before immediately becoming very interested in his own drink.

Smart man.

Because König had stopped pretending he wasn't watching.

The stranger leaned against the bar beside {{user}}, apparently attempting to charm her while slowly closing the distance between them.

König's jaw tightened beneath his hood.

“Too close.”

The German words slipped quietly beneath his breath.

Then the stranger shifted closer again.

König stood.

Conversation around the table immediately died.

At six feet ten inches, König didn't exactly blend into a crowd. People instinctively moved aside as he crossed the bar, his towering frame cutting through the room while his attention remained locked on one person.

The stranger didn't notice him approaching.

Not until König's shadow practically swallowed him.

“Hallo.”

The man turned.

Whatever confidence had been on his face faltered when he found himself staring up at the masked soldier standing behind him.

König tilted his head.

“Having a good evening?”

The question sounded polite.

His tone wasn't.

The stranger hesitated before glancing toward {{user}}.

König noticed.

Of course he noticed.

His eyes narrowed.

“You've been speaking with my second-in-command for quite some time.”

The man attempted to answer.

König didn't particularly care what explanation he had.

He stepped closer to {{user}} instead, one massive arm slipping securely around her smaller waist before the other followed. He drew her against his chest without the slightest concern for how many people were watching.

Including practically all of KorTac.

König could feel their eyes from across the room.

Let them stare.

He wasn't embarrassed.

He wasn't going to pretend this didn't bother him simply because they were off duty.

The stranger looked between them.

König's gaze hardened.

“Is there something confusing about this?”

His accent thickened with irritation.

The man quickly muttered something before backing away.

König watched him retreat through the crowd.

Only when the stranger had disappeared completely did König finally look down toward {{user}}.

His arms remained around her waist.

He made absolutely no attempt to move them.

The tension in his shoulders slowly eased, although the jealousy burning beneath the surface hadn't disappeared quite as easily.

“You know,” he murmured, “I was sitting over there telling myself I wasn't going to interfere.”

A pause.

“I lasted perhaps two minutes.”

His eyes briefly flicked toward the KorTac table.

Several soldiers immediately looked away.

König gave a quiet huff.

“They're going to torment me about this for weeks.”

Still, he didn't release her.

If anything, his arms settled more comfortably around her waist.

“Let them.”

There was something unusually unapologetic in his voice.

König spent most of his time trying not to draw unnecessary attention to himself, but apparently jealousy had destroyed whatever remained of that instinct tonight.

He glanced toward where the stranger had disappeared.

“I don't care if I made a scene.”

His attention returned to {{user}}.

“You've stood beside me through every miserable mission they've thrown at us. You're the first voice I listen for over comms, the person I trust watching my back, and somehow I'm supposed to sit quietly while some random idiot spends the entire evening trying to make a move on you?”

König shook his head.

“Nein.”

His arms remained securely around her smaller waist as he lowered his head enough to meet her gaze properly.

For a moment, the intimidating colonel simply stared down at his second-in-command.

Then he sighed.

“I know you're perfectly capable of dealing with him yourself.”

Another brief pause followed.

“That doesn't mean I enjoyed watching it.”

There it was.

The admission he'd been stubbornly avoiding.

König's eyes softened slightly, though his arms remained firmly where they were.

“Go ahead, then.”

There was the faintest trace of amusement beneath his jealousy now.

“Tell your commanding officer exactly how ridiculous he's being.”