𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦 & 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 10: ᴄᴀɴ ɪ ꜱᴛᴀʏ?

( Do ya'll prefer longer or shorter paragraphs? Genuine question.)

He carried me all the way back to the main training grounds. Even when we got within walking distance, he didn't bother stopping to put me down. A lot of heads turned in our direction, watching as he carried me. 'Yup this is definitely not professional.' I felt my face heat up and on instinct I turned my head; trying to hide my face that was flustered with both shame and something else that I couldn't put a name to. Without thinking, I shoved my face into one of his pecs; the flashbangs and sparklers that littered his chest scratched me in the process. Yes, it hurt.

Did I care? Nah, my embarrassment was far greater. I felt his breathing stall a bit before resuming its normal up and down pattern. The cloth from his mask drooped down onto my face; he was looking down at me. "Sorry." I mumbled into his chest. The grip he had on my legs tightened for a spilt second before going back to normal. He didn't say anything.

I could hear that we were nearing the metal doors that lead back inside to the main building. I was about to roll out of his arms when he stopped moving. He must've noticed what I was doing because he pulled me closer to him if that was even possible. "Excuse me, do you know where the nurse's department is?" His voice was surprisingly deep. When he spoke, it created a loud rumble in his chest.

It was oddly satisfying if I should say so. 'Wait a minute, nurse's department? The hell, I'm not handicap. Whoever he had asked, recognized me. "What's wrong with BB?" It was a woman's voice. I knew that voice, and it wasn't one that I would've wanted to hear either, especially not in this type of situation. It was Stephen.

I felt my stomach tighten and turn. 'Please, please, please move König. Ask someone else...anyone but her.' I felt König's mask shift to the side, suggesting he was doing that head tilt thing. He always did it whenever he was lost or confused. "BB...?" He asked. His voice was laced with genuine, utter confusion. "Yeah, it's my nickname for her." She paused and I heard her shift her feet on the gravel.

"You know, we used to be best friends at one point." I felt my body involuntarily tense. The hairs on my neck began standing up. I tightened my grip on König's gun and she noticed. "Oh, she is awake! Hey girl!" Stephen said, with the world's most fakest tone. I didn't answer, and before I knew it my whole body began shaky uncontrollably. 'I guess her presence alone, is still too much for me.'

König's mask drooped over my face again, suggesting he was looking down at me. He shifted his hold on me and spoke, "I am sorry to interrupt your reunion Lieutenant Stephen, but Ms. Belle needs to seek the nurse." It was quite clear that his entire demeanor had changed. He spat her name out like it was a type of poison. Silence filled the air for what felt like eternity. "Alright, okay. I won't hold you."

She must've heard it too as her voice seemed to lose a bit of its confidence. I felt him lean over. 'Probably bowing.' With that, he started to walk away. Once we got a considerable distance away from her, my shaking stopped completely. He seemed to take notice, but he didn't question it. After a while he stopped walking.

"Verdammt, die verdammte Schlampe {Dammit, the fucking bitch} didn't even give me directions." He growled and sucked his teeth. His mask swept over my face multiple times, suggesting that his head was pivoting around. I chuckled a bit at his sudden frustration. I couldn't understand the first part of what he said but it seemed like a mouthful of profanity. He heard me and his head shot down. "Ha-ha.... sorry bärchen, I did not mean for you to hear that." His voice was soft and light, a complete opposite of how it was just seconds ago.

I couldn't lie, the way that he could switch his German on and off that easily was quite cool. "It's fine. You know, you don't have to take me to the nurse's office, I'm not that injured. At most I'll probably be sore." I raised my head off his chest and started to sit upright in his arms. "But the nurse-" I cut him off. "Will probably send me home. König, I told you I'm fine." I looked up at him and met his worry-filled eyes.