Beware of the Shadow - König x Fem Reader - Part 7 🍺
After our return to base, everyone helped out to put back the various gears and equipment to their designated areas. König and I were tasked with returning the weapons to the armory.
Initially, we both were grabbing a handle of the big storage box. However, König decided to handle the box alone after a short while—deeming it was more efficient that way. He assured me it wasn't that heavy, so I didn't insist. While the weight was manageable for two, his solo handling of the box highlighted once again just how strong he was.
After sorting the box's contents, I took a moment to stretch while glancing at the wall clock. We were late in the afternoon, but it was still too early for dinner. In essence, it was the perfect time for a break.
"Hey, fancy grabbing a beer with me?" I offered.
König stayed silent as he processed my suggestion, carefully weighing the pros and cons.
"Where?" he finally inquired.
I smiled and gestured with my hand to follow me. "Behind the north warehouses. No one ever goes there."
Given his reserved nature, I easily guessed the usual hustle and bustle of a bar wasn't an option with him. He followed me without adding anything and we picked up some beers on the way.
We sat next to each other at the sole table of the secluded spot. As we gazed at the sunset, the both of us stayed silent. It was peaceful here, far removed from the usual commotions of the base.
I opened my bottle and took a sip, thus experiencing the tangy flavor on my tongue. I couldn't help but make a small face; I always had a hard time getting accustomed to the peculiar taste.
"How come you didn't tell everyone that you beat me?" König asked, breaking the silence with that thick accent of his that leaned a certain charm to the words. "I really thought you'd boast about it"
I take a moment to consider his observation. It's true that, deep down, I would have loved to rub it in his face. Yet, something always told me that no one would have believed me if I did. I took another sip of my beer before answering, grimacing slightly as I swallowed the bitter liquid.
"I don't know, maybe 'cause I'm new here? It felt weird to do so," I started. "Also, the idea of someone being annoyingly teased just because a woman beat their ass isn't what I call a victory."
His blue eyes remained fixed on me, attentively listening to my words. He hadn't opened his bottle yet, his gloved hand was just holding it.
"I mean, I don't assume that's what would have happened," I added, "but I can imagine that taking down the almost 7' beast would have made some noise."
König couldn't resist smirking audibly at my choice of words. He cracked open his beer and raised it under his mask, tilting his head as he took a sip, not giving much more to see of his face than I already had. He returned his beer to the table with a contented sigh.
"Thanks for your concerns, but the people here know very well not to come and get me," he stated matter-of-factly.
"If you say so. I've just encountered so many disingenuous folks, can't help but be careful now," I rebooted.
The expression in his eyes was mixed: partly confused, yet understanding of my perspective.
"What happened to make you think that way?" he inquired curiously.
"A lot as you can guess, but what about you? You must have a reason to hide your face," I asked back, subtly avoiding his last question in the process.
His eyes remained fixed on his bottle, likely debating again whether telling me was worth it or not. I let him be and took another small sip of my drink. After placing my bottle back on the table, König's answer finally came.
"There are things, especially from my past, that I prefer to keep hidden."
He sighed as his hand went to gently rub his face beneath his hood. I offered him a soft smile in hopes to alleviate any discomfort.
König's body relaxed when he understood that I wasn't going to insist. Though, his hand stayed under the hood accompanied by a soft scratching noise, raising my curiosity again. Maybe the rumors were true? Maybe he really was hiding something gruesome behind that mask of his? Yet, it felt like there was something more profound at stake.
I watched as König took another sip of his beer, nearly emptying half the bottle in two swallows. As I continued to observe him, my fascination deepened. It was as if I were compelled to unravel the secrets hidden beneath that mask, seeking the man obscured behind it.
But, should I? Or, wouldn't it end up in a poor repetition of the Pandora tale?
'Curiosity killed the cat' isn't an empty saying after all.
…But, what about kittens?
"Would it be alright if I touched it?" The words rolled off my tongue as I was thinking out loud. "Your face, I mean" I quickly added, now too deep to turn back.
He seemed taken aback when he turned his head to me, but the surprise faded when he saw I wasn't trying to joke around. He seemed conflicted, yet also... intrigued.
After a few seconds of hesitation, he finally nodded and bent his head toward me, lessening the distance between us.
A bit hesitant at first, his eyes displayed his determination to go forth with it nonetheless. So, I cautiously lifted my hand from the table, taking my time to gradually extend my fingers towards him. It was as if I were approaching a wild animal, affording him the opportunity to flee if necessary. All the while, my eyes were ensnared in the depth of his resolute stare.
As I approached his hood, I slipped my palm beneath it. My middle finger encountered something smooth, fabric-like. It was the balaclava he wore in addition to his hood. He twitched slightly at the first contact, but he didn't voice any further objection.
I identified his chin as I brought my other fingers there. Slowly, I moved them around his cheek, attempting to discern his features. Unfortunately, the fabric covering his skin muffled most of what I could grasp from this little touching session. The contours of his jaw, cheek, and temple were melted into a smooth and soft surface.
König's hand suddenly went under his hood without warning. He abruptly adjusted the lower part of his balaclava and tucked it under his chin. My eyes widened while my body jolted with surprise, my hand frozen in place as I feared any further movement would cause something else to happen.
"It tickled" König remarked, and curiosity winned me back instantly.
I resumed my previous motion and delicately explored König's cheek with my digits. Despite not being able to see a thing, I could feel much. I was able to grasp a faint stubble tickling my fingertips; based on how it pricked my skin, he probably shaved 3 or 4 days ago. As my fingers moved downward to his chin once more, I detected a slight dent on the way, likely a scar.
My finger continued to carefully trace his jawline—strong.
Then his nose—well-defined.
Finally his lips—soft and slightly wet from the beer he drank just a minute ago.
His eyes didn't leave me for a second, my own following the path my fingers were taking as if I could see through the fabric in between. He maintained a profound silence, to the extent even his breath was almost imperceptible.
I felt more indents that were scar-like all around. My finger twitched on its own when it encountered another, larger one that extended from his eye to his upper lip. While I couldn't precisely map out every detail of his face, one thing was crystal clear: his face bore plenty of scars.
"It wasn't the battlefield that did this to you, was it?"
The words slipped from my lips quicker than I could think about them, revealing some of my concerns away.
He hesitated for a moment while my hand rested on his cheek, my thumb gently brushing over one of his scars as if I was attempting to soften it in some ways. His skin had healed, yet a part of me wished for any left trauma to fade away.
"It was my dad" he finally replied.
I froze, but he didn't elaborate further. I carefully withdrew my hand and he readjusted his balaclava to its previous state, concealing his facial features even under his mask.
The urge to prob further nagged at me, but I stopped myself from prying any deeper. However, the meaning behind his answer was troubling me. How could a parent… to their own child? Even without having seen them, it wasn't that hard to figure out those scars weren't left by accident.
"So they're the reason you hide your face?" I only inquired.
"I guess. And, I don't know—I've kinda gotten used to it," he answered rather quickly this time.
Releasing a deep sigh, he finished the remainder of his beer without another word, definitively closing the topic. I picked up my own bottle and took several audible gulps too, as if the sour liquid would somehow wash away the uneasiness of the situation.
We watched the sun set as it was painting the surroundings in shades of orange, some rays reaching and reflecting on my hair. I could feel König's gaze on me, but my eyes stayed on the tranquil scenery before us as my eyelids were getting slightly heavier.
"You're the first person in a long time I've let acknowledge them. Well, you haven't seen them directly—but still," he confessed.
In that moment, it became evident to me that König and I shared a lot in common. I too had my own, invisible scars that I wasn't ready to share yet. Our eyes met and we exchanged somewhat of a silent comfort. König then chuckled as he dropped his arms back on the table surface, causing it to tremble.
"You know, at first you seemed like a bit of a troublemaker. I even had some concerns about your case. But now I must admit that I was wrong, you seem like a decent person."
His sudden confession elicited laughter from me.
"Of course I am, you must have been blind to not see it sooner!" I gloated.
"Don't make me regret my words" he quipped.
A new gleam lit up his eyes as I nudged his shoulder in a playful protest. We shifted on lighter topics as the sun continued its slow descent, enjoying our time together before it would get too late to do so.
And that, my friends, is what I call an unusual, yet successful team building.
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