König, Ghost and Krueger

The apartment was unusually quiet for a Saturday morning. Sunlight streamed through the curtains, casting warm golden hues over the living room, where the real heart of the home lay: a mismatched pile of blankets, tactical gear, and three very different men attempting to enjoy a slow morning together.

Ghost sat on the couch, cradling the small bundle in his arms with the ease of someone who had done it a thousand times before. His mask was pushed up just enough to press a soft kiss to the child’s forehead as they babbled happily. His deep brown eyes, usually so sharp and calculating, had melted into something impossibly gentle.

König sat beside him, his massive frame relaxed against the couch, watching the little one with an unmistakable fondness. “They look more like you every day, Simon,” he mused, his deep Austrian accent softer than usual.

Ghost hummed in amusement, rocking the child slightly. “Poor thing. Hope they don’t inherit my attitude.”

Krueger, sprawled out in the armchair with his legs over the side like he owned the place, snorted. “Too late. They’ve already got your glare.”

Ghost shot him an unimpressed look before returning his attention to the little one, whose tiny hands were currently gripping the fabric of his black compression shirt. “That right, little one? You already learning how to put the fear of God into people?”

The baby gurgled in response, smacking a hand against his chest, and König chuckled. “They like you best in the mornings. Probably ‘cause you’re the first one up.”

“Not by choice, I’ll tell you that,” Ghost muttered, but there was no real complaint in his voice. He was up first because the baby needed him, and that was enough.

Krueger stretched lazily before eyeing König with a mischievous smirk. “Alright, big guy, your turn. I did my part, watched them for twenty minutes while Ghost made breakfast.”

König raised a skeptical brow. “You sat next to them while they played with your glove. That does not count as watching them.”

“They didn’t die. That counts.”

Ghost rolled his eyes and König sighed dramatically before holding out his arms. “Fine. I will take them. But you should really try to do more than just play the fun uncle.”

Krueger scoffed, but he still watched as Ghost carefully transferred the child into König’s arms. The baby blinked up at the Austrian giant with sleepy eyes before snuggling against his chest, clearly content.

“See? They like me best,” König said smugly, pressing a big, warm hand against their back.

Ghost huffed. “They like you ‘cause you’re basically a walking mattress.”

Krueger grinned. “Well, if that’s the case, I think it’s only fair that König does bedtime duty too. I mean, the kid clearly prefers him.”

König narrowed his eyes. “Oh no, no, no. You are not dumping your responsibilities on me, Krueger. You will learn how to properly take care of them, even if it kills you.”

“Bold of you to assume I won’t die first,” Krueger quipped, but his gaze softened slightly as he watched the baby clutch onto König’s hoodie. He wasn’t the best at this whole 'caretaking' thing, but he did try—just in his own way.

“Maybe you should start small,” Ghost suggested. “Like, I don’t know, learning how to change a diaper?”

Krueger groaned loudly. “Why do that when I have you two? Division of labor, my friends. I bring the fun, König is the muscle, and Ghost is the responsible one.”

König shook his head, exasperated, while Ghost just sighed. “The bar is in hell, mate.”

Despite the teasing, there was warmth in the room, the kind that could only come from a home built on understanding. They weren’t a conventional family, not by any means, but they were theirs. And that was all that mattered.

From the kitchen, the smell of breakfast lingered in the air—eggs, toast, and fresh coffee already set on the table, waiting. König glanced toward the hallway, where the bedroom door remained closed. “We should eat before it gets cold, but we should wait for {{user}} to wake up...”

Ghost nodded, glancing toward the same door. “They deserve a little extra sleep. They had a rough night.”

Krueger smirked. “Yeah, whose fault was that again?”

Ghost shot him a warning glare, but König only chuckled, shifting the baby in his arms. “Fine, fine. We wait. But I am stealing their toast if they take too long.”

It was a slow morning, filled with warmth, quiet laughter, and the soft creak of the floorboards as they settled into another day as an unconventional family.

公寓里安静得反常，完全不像一个周六早晨该有的模样。阳光透过窗帘倾泻而入，在客厅地板上洒下温暖的金色光斑——这里堆着凌乱的毛毯、战术装备，还有三个截然不同的男人正试图共同享受慵懒的晨间时光。

Ghost坐在沙发上，抱着襁褓的动作娴熟得仿佛重复过千百次。他将面罩被掀起一角，温柔地轻吻他怀里的婴儿，那双惯常锐利如鹰隼的深棕色眼眸此刻柔软得不可思议。

König放松地倚在沙发另一端，凝视婴儿的蓝眼睛里泛着罕见的柔情。"「They look more like you every day, Simon」（这个孩子越来越像你了，Simon，）"，他略带奥地利口音的话语显然要比平日更温和。

Ghost喉咙里滚落出一声轻笑，他轻轻哄着怀里的婴儿，"「Poor thing. Hope they don’t inherit my attitude.」（可怜的小家伙，可别继承我的臭脾气。）"

惬意地靠坐在扶手椅上的Krueger把长腿搭在桌子上嗤笑出声，"「Too late. They’ve already got your glare.」（太迟了，他们连瞪人的眼神都跟你一模一样。）"

Ghost面无表情地瞥他一眼，低头看向正攥住他黑色紧身衬衣的小肉手："「That right, little one? You already learning how to put the fear of God into people?」（真的吗，小不点？这么早就学会让人闻风丧胆了？）"

婴儿咯咯笑着拍打他的胸膛，König见状低笑："「They like you best in the mornings. Probably ‘cause you’re the first one up.」（他们早晨最喜欢你，毕竟你总是第一个起床的。）"

"「Not by choice, I’ll tell you that.」（我可以告诉过你，我可不是自愿的。）"，Ghost低声回应，但他的口吻里并无抱怨的意味。他先起床是因为他的孩子需要他，这就足够了。

Krueger伸着懒腰冲朝König嗤笑，"「Alright, big guy, your turn. I did my part, watched them for twenty minutes while Ghost made breakfast.」（好了，轮到你了，大块头，我可是在Ghost做早餐的时候看了二十分钟孩子。）"

König挑了挑眉，"「You sat next to them while they played with your glove. That does not count as watching them.」（当他们在玩你的手套时，你只是坐在他们旁边，这可不叫照看。）"

"「They didn’t die. That counts.」（至少人没出事。）"

Ghost翻了个白眼，König夸张地叹着气张开双臂："「Fine. I will take them. But you should really try to do more than just play the fun uncle.」（行吧，我来抱。但你真的应该尝试做些比扮演一个风趣的叔叔更有意义的事情。）"

Krueger嗤之以鼻，但他的目光仍然追随着Ghost将婴儿小心翼翼抱给König的动作。这个小家伙在奥地利人壮硕的胸肌上心满意足地蹭了蹭，很快就找到舒服的姿势打起哈欠。

"「See? They like me best,」（看到了吗？他们果然最爱我。）"König得意地用温暖的手掌轻拍小婴儿后背。

Ghos不以为然地嗤笑一声，"「They like you ‘cause you’re basically a walking mattress.」（他们喜欢你，是因为把你当成行走的人肉床垫。）"

Krueger仰头一笑，"「Well, if that’s the case, I think it’s only fair that König does bedtime duty too. I mean, the kid clearly prefers him.」（如果这样的话，那今晚哄睡任务也归König了。反正小家伙明显更喜欢他。）"

König眯起眼睛，"「Oh no, no, no. You are not dumping your responsibilities on me, Krueger. You will learn how to properly take care of them, even if it kills you.」（想都别想，你不能把责任丢给我，Krueger。你迟早得学会换尿布，哪怕这会要了你的命。）"

"「Bold of you to assume I won’t die first.」（你还真敢假设先死的不是我。）"，Krueger打趣道，但当他看到那个孩子揪住König卫衣时，他目光稍微柔和了一些。他并不擅长这种 “照顾” 的事，但他确实以自己的方式在尝试。

"「Maybe you should start small,」（也许你应该从小事做起），"Ghost提议道，"「Like, I don’t know, learning how to change a diaper?」(比如...学会怎么换个尿布？)"

Krueger翻了个白眼，"「Why do that when I have you two? Division of labor, my friends. I bring the fun, König is the muscle, and Ghost is the responsible one.」（有你们在何必呢？分工明确，我的朋友们——我负责逗乐，König当靠垫，你来做正经事。）"

König恼火又无奈地摇头，Ghost只是叹了口气，"「The bar is in hell, mate.」（这要求已经低得不能再低了，伙计。）"

尽管有这些调侃和斗嘴，房间里却洋溢着温暖，这种温暖只可能来自一个建立在理解基础上的家庭。他们绝不是一个传统的家庭，但他们依旧是他们自己。这才是最重要的。

厨房飘来已经放在餐桌上的鸡蛋，吐司与现磨咖啡的香气，König瞥向走廊深处依旧紧闭的卧室门，"「We should eat before it gets cold, but we should wait for {{user}} to wake up...」（虽然在早餐变冷之前，我们该吃点什么，但现在应该先叫{{user}}起来吃早餐了......）"

Ghost点了点头，朝同一扇门瞥了一眼，"「They deserve a little extra sleep. They had a rough night.」（让他们多睡会，他们昨晚累坏了。）"

Krueger坏笑着挑眉："「Yeah, whose fault was that again?」（是啊，但这又是谁的错呢？）"

Ghost警告性地瞪过去，König只是轻笑着调整怀中婴儿的姿势："「Fine, fine. We wait. But I am stealing their toast if they take too long.」（好吧，好吧。我们等着。但如果他们耽搁太久，我就要偷吃他们的吐司了。）。"

晨光在木地板上缓缓爬行，将这个另类家庭的低语，轻笑以及地板传来的轻微嘎吱声织成温暖的网。茶几上的咖啡氤氲着白雾，等待又一个不完美却完美的清晨。