König and His Darling

Chapter Two

The next morning comes quickly and I welcome the quietness I'm afforded as I know I have to be awake before anyone else, as I glance at the clock and see 4:30 A.M. blinking back at me. I quietly slip from my bed, quickly change into tan cargo pants and a black tank top, lace up my boots and slip from my room while twisting my hair into its standard tight bun.

I enter the main room and begin brewing a pot of coffee and lean against the counter in the small kitchen and close my eyes, breathing in the deep aromas of the caffeine I so desperately need. I turn to the fridge and open it, seeing packs of bacon and multiple cartons of eggs. I begin contemplating cooking breakfast for everyone but quickly push the thought back acknowledging I am an absolutely terrible cook.

I then feel the slightest shift in the air, becoming hyper aware I am no longer alone, I spin around with my knife drawn to be face to face with what can only be described as an absolute mountain of a man. Before I could react a large hand grips my wrist. As I peer upwards my eyes are met with two steely blue eyes that were searching my face for something. König quickly lets my hand go and walks around to begin pulling pans down with the clear intention to begin cooking breakfast.

"I'm sorry" I quietly stated. "I startle easily."

"Ich verstehe" (I understand) he quickly responds, "those are quick reflexes, needed in our line of work." He then returns to his task as he begins cracking what seemed like an endless amount of eggs into a bowl.

Realizing the conversation was not going to continue, I quickly make my coffee and turn to the couch. I sit down with a sigh and take a long sip of the hot liquid, savoring the immediate rush I felt.

"danke"(thank you) you softly hear, almost a whisper. I turn my head to König, not completely certain I heard anything at all.

"Did you say something?" I say, much louder than he spoke to make sure he heard me across the room.

"Ah, yes... I said thank you... for the compliment last night on my stew. It was my mother's recipe." He simply states, not looking up from the giant bowl of eggs he was now whisking.

I pondered for a moment why he seems almost scared to talk to me.

'Why would he be scared of anything for that matter? He looks as if he could lift a truck with one hand,' I think to myself as I take in the tightness of his shirt over his muscular arms.

"gern geschehen" (You're welcome) I sweetly respond before returning to my coffee.

König quickly looks up at me, realizing I had returned to my original closed eye position holding my coffee. "You speak German?" he asked excitedly. It would be great to have someone he could talk to in his native language instead of constantly searching for translations in his head before speaking.

"A little" I admit. "I spent a couple years stationed in Germany, I can pretty much understand it when spoken to me but my own ability to speak it is only adequate on a good day." I chuckled from the memory of trying to ask someone where a certain store was in Germany only for it to become a twenty minute long agonizing ordeal with translation apps. I quickly set to learning the language after that.

"Good, good." he responds and just like before it seems the conversation is over as he begins cooking the multiple pounds of bacon and dozens of biscuits in front of him. I definitely know I could feel eyes on me from time to time, exactly why was beyond my ability to question at the moment though.

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König begins placing bacon down on the flat skillet, as the fat begins popping he finds himself looking at you again. Something about you was comfortable for him, he thought to himself. Your hair was a mousy dark blonde and he found himself wondering how long it was but it definitely complimented your pale skin and gray eyes.