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Phoenix can’t help but laugh a little at that. “Anything is better than MREs,” he agreed. Just the thought of them made him shiver.

His favorite. Oh, this is adorable. If Phoenix could have put the fuzzy feeling in this chest into words he would’ve. He just walked behind the hostess to their table, taking in the atmosphere of the place.

König pulling the chair out for him was unexpected but not unwelcome. Phoenix put a gloved hand over König’s and gave it a small squeeze, smiling widely. “Thank you.”

He settled into his seat and reached out to grab a menu, starting to look it over. He’d given it a once over, sure, but it was far from memorized. “So…is it too early to ask for my first history lesson? I was thinking maybe it could be on how you started coming here,” Phoenix said smoothly, silently berating himself for how cheesy it sounded.

It would have been far easier to give an actual history lesson, some degree of separation that made the words flow easier. Talking about himself, however - why would anyone be interested in that?

Once settled in his seat, he doesn't pick up the menu. König was a creature of habit and has never strayed from the same item he's gotten every time. He wouldn't go so far as to say that the waitress would remember it, but he no longer needed to recite the order in his head before she came.

"Ah, I was trying to avoid... someone I had seen on the street outside. I simply went into the first door I saw." Speaking it aloud now, the story only seemed more ridiculous. "The food is good. That helps."

An interruption in which he orders a beer, something that would hopefully help his nerves.

"But, I would rather hear about you."

He nodded along, listening intently as König spoke. The urge to ask more was real, but before he could the waitress was back and asking about drinks. Phoenix ordered a rootbeer out of habit, a guilty pleasure of his that he couldn’t help but indulge.

The prospect of talking about himself seemed slightly daunting, but if it’s what König wanted then he would absolutely oblige.

“Hm, let’s see…” he trailed off, trying to think about something that wasn’t wildly traumatic to talk about. “I used to be in band when I was younger. Saxophone was my instrument of choice, but only because I could never figure out how to play a brass instrument. Totally would have gone for the Tuba then.”

He paused and laughed a little. “Sorry, I’m horrible at talking about myself without questions. But if you have any, you can just hit me with them rapid fire. I’m good at that.”

A real, genuine laugh at that - one that's a bit too high pitched to match his body. It's a good sign, he thought, that Phoenix was able to make him. König figured he'd at least have to have a beer or two before he got there.

He reached across the table, aiming for Phoenix's hand but he doubted himself at the last second and tapped the side of the menu in the man's hands instead.

"Do not let me distract you. If you need help with the menu, I am happy to."

There was a slight pause before he began speaking again.

"I do not want for this to be an interrogation - I, ah, can play piano. I do not think I would be good still, but maybe we can find out."

His eyes follow the movement of Minnie's hand as she takes the biscuits that started this entire situation. He lets her, of course, no longer swayed by the same tired mindlessness that he was last night. The soft ache in his chest that told him to take her wrist in his hand and pull her back to bed, well, he didn't think that would ever go away.

"I am glad I did not... inconvenience you."

He can only blink as she moves to the door, fingers twitching beside him as he resists that aforementioned urge.

"Ah, yes. Breakfast."

And König prays to a God that he doesn't believe in that no one sees Minnie slip from his room, lest he be on the receiving end of pointed questions and teasing.

As promised, he doesn't see her again until he finds her sat up at the table between Nikto and Horangi, elbowing the latter in the ribs as he ruffles her hair. "Fuck up, Horangi- M'not a fuckin' cat, y'prick!" Ah, she's still herself. At least she's not too shaken up by the whole night time ordeal.

Or at least, externally she isn't. Internally, the sight of König has her blushing scarlet beneath her balaclava. She still hasn't let herself contemplate the fact that he saw her without it last night. His first time seeing her scars. But then- he was half asleep, maybe he didn't notice them?

Yeahhh, didn't notice that someone tried to slit your throat and play fruit ninja with your skull. That's likely.

If König could pick a superpower, he'd be torn between choosing either the ability to be invisible or to read people's mind. With Minnie, the latter was fortunately taken care of, so right about now, he was desperate to be invisible.

It's not like he could step into the mess hall and go unnoticed.

His eyes immediately connect with Minnie's and he's not entirely sure how he summoned the courage last night to throw her over his shoulder because it's currently taking all his strength to not turn around and skip breakfast.

The fallout will be worse if he avoids it, he knows, so that's why he takes a seat at his usual table after he grabs food.

"Moagn." They're acting normal, why can't he? Except for the way his eyes dip to Minnie's throat before falling to his tray. He's read her file, naturally, but the briefing is sometimes entirely different than the truth.

"What are you harassing her for already? Is it not too early for this?"

"We're socializing."

It is both a command and statement — whatever was nicer after a good meal than a hit of nicotine? The artist is already fetching that pack of cigarettes, pulling one out with his lips and letting it sit there before holding the pack up, close to König's lips, one cigarette sticking out for him to take.

"Aren't we?"

Kazumi's thoughts stray from the tobacco, the pack, and the moment of peace and rush violently back about ten minutes ago, his hand twisted behind his back and an angry beam burning his skull, coming from the light in the soldier's eyes. The rush of pain, the uncertainty, the following panic — it spawns this feeling of unrest deep in his bones, though he is uncertain if he awaits a salvation or a damnation.

Of course, he admits to none of it, settling for just watching the guest, blinking slowly, then letting a gentle, small smile curl his lips upwards. Not that facial expressions came to him naturally — if Kazuyuki emoted at all, he was putting in the effort. This meant something.

A sane, healthy person would have taken a step back, politely refused the pack of smokes shoved in their face.

But König's not given a choice in the matter, tobacco filling his nose all too reminiscent of sharing a smoke break with a team now gone. He mimics Kazumi's movement, pulling the cigarette between his lips in a motion that looks too practiced.

"Ja, I suppose. Danke."

He can't seem to shake this on-edge feeling, the constant roller coaster between them has him waiting for the next drop until Kazumi smiles at him. And somewhere, something pulls at his chest. The idea that someone could still be kind to him even after he couldn't keep reins on the beast that twisted Kazumi's arm behind his back has his feet carrying him outside.

"You have been too kind. I cannot keep taking from you."

Phoenix can’t help but laugh a little at that. “Anything is better than MREs,” he agreed. Just the thought of them made him shiver.

His favorite. Oh, this is adorable. If Phoenix could have put the fuzzy feeling in this chest into words he would’ve. He just walked behind the hostess to their table, taking in the atmosphere of the place.

König pulling the chair out for him was unexpected but not unwelcome. Phoenix put a gloved hand over König’s and gave it a small squeeze, smiling widely. “Thank you.”

He settled into his seat and reached out to grab a menu, starting to look it over. He’d given it a once over, sure, but it was far from memorized. “So…is it too early to ask for my first history lesson? I was thinking maybe it could be on how you started coming here,” Phoenix said smoothly, silently berating himself for how cheesy it sounded.

It would have been far easier to give an actual history lesson, some degree of separation that made the words flow easier. Talking about himself, however - why would anyone be interested in that?

Once settled in his seat, he doesn't pick up the menu. König was a creature of habit and has never strayed from the same item he's gotten every time. He wouldn't go so far as to say that the waitress would remember it, but he no longer needed to recite the order in his head before she came.

"Ah, I was trying to avoid... someone I had seen on the street outside. I simply went into the first door I saw." Speaking it aloud now, the story only seemed more ridiculous. "The food is good. That helps."

An interruption in which he orders a beer, something that would hopefully help his nerves.

"But, I would rather hear about you."

In a way that somewhat resembles a cat, Minnie very slowly reaches across him, as if incremental movements will make her undetectable, and snatches the stolen biscuits from his nightstand to stuff the packet back in her hoodie pocket before she sits back on her haunches at the edge of his bed.

"Nah, you're all good. Was actually pretty nice, y'like a huge microwaveable teddy bear. Know the ones y'heat up 'n they have oats 'n lavender 'n shit to help y'fall asleep?" At this point the words are just falling out of her like her skull's just a grocery bag with a hole in it.

It kind of is, if you think about it. Probably best not to think about it.

She sort of just... stays there after that? For a few moments, at least, before she suddenly remember she's not exactly supposed to be in her Colonel's fucking bed and almost falls off the edge in her scramble to stand up and back towards the door. "A-anyway, I need a shower, see y'at breakfast? Yeah-"

His eyes follow the movement of Minnie's hand as she takes the biscuits that started this entire situation. He lets her, of course, no longer swayed by the same tired mindlessness that he was last night. The soft ache in his chest that told him to take her wrist in his hand and pull her back to bed, well, he didn't think that would ever go away.

"I am glad I did not... inconvenience you."

He can only blink as she moves to the door, fingers twitching beside him as he resists that aforementioned urge.

"Ah, yes. Breakfast."

And König prays to a God that he doesn't believe in that no one sees Minnie slip from his room, lest he be on the receiving end of pointed questions and teasing.

“Thank Christ.” Minnie lets out a sigh of relief, running a hand through her mess of a bob as she gives the gentle giant a cheeky grin. “If I got that lucky I’d wanna remember it.”

First, her eyes widen. Then they drop closed in despair, the hand in her hair running down over her face. “Oh my goood… M’sorry Sir, that wasn’t appropriate- didn’t mean to say it out loud. I mean- shit.”

All she can think to do at that point is untangle herself from his blankets, and start to climb out of his bed, aiming to essentially hide from the world until he forgets what she said.

Thank God for the hood that hides the flush that blooms on his face. And thank God for that little Minnie quirk that made every thought that popped in her head fall out of her mouth. At least he didn't have to be the one that said it.

"No, ah- you are fine. I should be the one apologizing. I should not have carried you back with me."

He straightens without her presence in the bed and releases a heavy breath. He was just so tired - how could he deny himself the best sleep he'd gotten in weeks?

His smile widens, the action tugging on the scar on his cheek. He doesn’t mind, though, having gotten used to it over the years.

Phoenix could feel the nervousness rolling off the man, and he couldn’t help but find it endearing. When was the last time anyone had ever been nervous while on a date with him? And the way that König held open the door? Ugh, his heart might as well give out on the spot.

“Absolutely starved. I’m countin’ on you to have good taste,” he joked as he walked in, waiting for König to join him before he spoke to the hostess about getting a table. She seemed to recognize König, and Phoenix smiled at him with a raised brow. “Come here often?”

Of course, Phoenix had meant this comment as a joke. König did not take it as one, though - another added bit of pressure that he hadn't thought about.

"Anything is better than MREs." It is the truth, but dryness of his response could only be read as a joke back.

The hostess gives König a warm welcome before her face shifts. He'd never brought anyone with him before. It's almost as if she's trying to place the relation. She waves them on to follow her to a table.

"Ja. It is my favorite - their potatoes are just like my Oma's."

And when they finally make it to their table, König pulls out the seat for Phoenix to sit.

Phoenix perked up the second that he finally saw König, a smile spreading across his face as he took in the outfit. He still couldn’t get over the fact that they were matching. The mask didn’t unsettle him. If anything, it was comforting. Familiar, almost.

“König!” He said happily. “I am, indeed, Phoenix. It’s nice to meet you too.”

The height was a little odd for Phoenix — sure, he was used to looking up at people, but almost a foot and a half was new — but he’d get used to it.

“Your outfit looks even better in person, by the way. I thought it was gorgeous over the phone, but actually seeing it is just incomparable.”

His hands were promptly shoved in his jacket pockets, entirely unsure of what to do with them. A handshake was too formal, a hug too familiar. He's regretting not telling Horangi to show up undercover to assist.

His face flushes beneath the mask at the compliment and he tries to remember how conversations should properly go.

"You look good - ah, great, too. It is sweet that we are matching, ja?"

And another moment to collect himself and open the door to the restaurant for Phoenix.

"I hope you are hungry."

He looks up at him from the bench, arms feeling like limp noodles and panting a little, He chuckles at the 'gotten yourself killed' comment. "I doubt it would end that badly." He sighs as he sits up.

"fuck." He groans, damn his arms hurt. "Why are you here anyways? its like three in the morning"

Not to mention that he was also here. Maybe they both couldn't get any sleep. It was still weird he didn't even see the man enter the gym. but those weird misalignments didn't bother him too much at the moment.

Konig loomed over him, silent for a moment, head tilting slightly as if amused by the sight of him worn out and breathless. Oh, that was a sight he could get used to up close and personal.

"I could ask you the same thing." A non-answer, of course. It's not like he wanted to lie to Jiwoo.

"It is the perfect time to work out, ja? No one around… just you and me."

He doesn't usually do the whole 'going to the gym at 2am' Business. But... Well, He was having some trouble sleeping, inspiration wouldn't hit and he had done everything to try and get back to sleep.

So he's at the gym

when no one else is there.

He usually has a spotter for bench pressing but, well, no one is in. But he was being safe until he kinda wasn't, too many reps and he's there struggling until the bar is suddenly lifted back up like it isn't anything heavy.

"Shit! König, you scared the shit out of me." He gasps

See, when König got the notification that Jiwoo had left so late, it was a natural reaction for panic to bubble in his chest. Had something happened? A red-eye back home? Or worse, a late night rendezvous with someone that wasn't him?

It would have been stupid not to follow.

And as he racks the bar for Jiwoo, well he should be grateful that someone was here to help. It could have been hours before anyone found him crushed.

There is a wild grin behind the mask, looking down at him as he steps back.

"You shouldn't lift without a spotter, Jiji." A pause in which König has a devious idea. "You could have gotten yourself killed."

[Ja. Ich spreche Deutsch, aber ich wollte hören, wie Sie über die Namen Ihrer Katzen sprechen. Es war süß.]

at last Lynx revealed she was fluent. a soft smile on her face as she settled against the bed. she was comfortable with both languages, having learned them both growing up. she decided to switch back to English.

[I like masks. I wear one myself. doesn't bother me]

And now the realization that König did truly share a name with Lynx's cat. He turns to Knödel now, picking up her paws to bring her attention to him as he speaks.

"《Am I sweet? Do you think so?》"

She mews in response, which then distracts König for a while, babying her.

The moment serves well to keep his nerves from him, so he decides to snap a pic to send over.

[She agrees with you, I think.]

"Oh-I -uh.." the notion of the man asking him out to dinner was making him blush even harder, it starting to creep further across his face and even onto his ears.

No matter how much he wanted to actually go out to dinner with this man -platonic or otherwise-, to draw his form in sketchbook after sketchbook, There was an unease. What if his admirer... God why is he thinking this... What if he stopped? And what if he'd never feel that same small thrill and love again?

His phone rings in his gym bag and he nearly jumps at the sudden vibration. Looking at the contact, he swore slightly under his breath. AGENT. in big loud letters. He missed the meeting, by a lot actually.

"Next time, Maybe?" He smiles back up at the man, before turning away and walking out of the gym in a hurry. He could still be heard as he walks down the busy street at the front of the gym, getting farther and farther away...

And just like that, Jiwoo was gone.

Well, not really, as König switched over his earbuds to tap into Jiwoo's phone instead. He'd keep his distance, simply ensuring that the artist was safe as he walked through busy streets. People could do crazy things.

And he does so until after the conversation is over and Jiji is safe at home.

Good information, however - König learns the date of Jiwoo's gallery opening. He notes this in his calendar for later, despite the fact that he will see Jiwoo in the gym later this week.