Echoes|| König x Reader x Ghost

♢4 A New Normal

It has only been six months since I visited Austria and now, I'm living here. I looked around Konrad's house and knew what I wanted to add and change, after all, he did say I could do what I liked.

My autism love not smiling at people and the constant staring, but it was extremely hard to untrain my American mannerisms. I ended up gaining a new routine of walking thirty minutes for pastries and a latte for late brunch and picking up groceries for lunch or dinner or looking at bookstores.

Konrad stayed for the first month before he went back to deployment. Compared to other deployments his was far more... manageable and flexible. Apparently, with my moving, he's taken easier deployments, ones he's 100% can do in less time.

"Liebchen," Konrad calls out setting a dish in front of me, "My parents want to meet you."

Your parents are still alive? I opened my mouth and instantly closed it. "Sure," I said.

"... They don't approve—"

"Their opinions don't matter," I muse. I watch him blink before he smiles and nods.

"They think you are after my money."

"... What money?"

He stops and starts at me. We stared at each other; he was at a loss for words. He searched my face I could tell he was unnerved and as confused as me before he broke into a light chuckle, "Maus, I make a lot of money."

"You do?" His smile widens and his chest buffs out as I see pride in him.

"I make over 200,000 Dollars, American." My mouth falls open. He looks so amused.

"Is that why you paid for my books?" I question.

"Maus, you don't have to work ever again," he said it was more of a command, but honestly not working sounded like heaven. Reading all day keeping the house together, I could do that.

"Like a housewife?"

"Yes."

"... Don't expect me to be able to cook without an in-depth recipe," I said. I can cook but I need an actual recipe in front of me even if I cooked it over thirty times, It's for my own security.

"You need a recipe?"

"It's stressful cooking without one."

"... So, your parents are..."

"Traditional."

Oh... shit... I wanted to run, I looked around and sighed, the food was no longer appealing. I lean back in my seat and everything I have ever done flashed through my mind. From the trauma to the trial.

"Your parents are going to hate me," I whisper with a smile of doom.

"We can work this—"

"Nah nah," I look up, "I am not traditional!" I said I was far from traditional.

"If you had a problem swallowing me," I almost laughed, "Than how will your parents deal with me?" A quietness said it all, he must have thought the same.

"Look I don't want to ruin your relationship with your parents, but I swear I am not gonna hide who I am."

He nods.

"I understand."

ᔕᔕᔕ≼∴≽ᔕᔕᔕ

"You must be Y/N," Konrad's mother, Annika asks.

"Yes." I kept my mouth shut, like Charlie said got nothing nice to say keep quiet. She looked me up and down like I was some cattle for sale.

"You're different from what I expected." I purse my lips, that felt like a racist unconsciousness.

"Not white enough?" I snap back.

"Not old enough." Konrad's father, Anton said.

"Aye, your son," Was all I could say. His son was pursuing me. He glares at me and I look over to see his mother just looking me up and down.

"How did you lose your leg?" She asks her accent strong.

"Saving your son's life." Konrad gently pushed me further into the house of hostility. I take off my shoes and shuffle inside, it's so... European... Truth be told I prefer the American building style, the old and new do not fit together.

Their expression slightly changed and turn to him to confirm it, Konrad nodded, and that point was ended.

Konrad did most of the talking they slipped into German so easily and I think they forgot I was there. I enjoyed looking around being nosy and seeing how others live. Because when I get back one phone call later, I get to be gossiping with my favorite people.

"Y/N," I pull from my daydreaming by Annika, "Help me out with dinner."

"Sure," I said through a smiling gritted expression.

Do not punch this lady.

"What are we cooking?" I ask trying to bite back my sarcasm. She isn't one of my people, therefore she's a dangerous unknown.

"Tafelspitz," I nod having no idea what that was. "I want you to know what real Austrian food is, my grandmother's recipe," My interest is peaked. I saw her thumbing through some recipe book, and I knew I wanted to get my paws on them, at least try to cook all of them... maybe even eat them.

Konrad hovered around us until his mother got annoyed and chased him away like a puppy. He sat with his dad waiting impatiently.

His mother slowly opened up to me.

"How did you two meet?"

"Oh, he was helping my squad," I answer.

"What military branch are you?"

"Marine."

"Danke for saving my son," I look at her and smile.

Dinner went by fine. I liked his mother more than his father, but his father didn't speak to me very much mostly asking his son about his work and living vicariously through him.

"When is the wedding," I stop eating and I turn to Konrad who also froze, and we both turn to his expecting mother. "Do you have a place planned out?"

Lady... I am just dating your son! It's barely been 6 months!

"Mutter, dafür ist es zu früh." Konrad said calmly in german away from prying ears.

"Aber ich möchte Enkelkinder."

I had a suspicion... Theirs only one reason why she's being pleasant... I sigh and turn to him.

"Will you two have children?" Annika asks.

Knew it.

"I am disabled... Physically and mentally," I purse my lips. I was trying to paint myself in the worst light possible, "I can't have kids."

I don't want kids... I hate them, with a passion.

The mother looked disappointed, but she dropped the topic. Old traditional people like them don't like the idea of their grandchildren being disabled, I'm sure they could find within themselves to love them, but I can't find within myself to love them, not for their disability, I just hate young children. I do not need a lifelong leech.

ᔕᔕᔕ≼∴≽ᔕᔕᔕ

"I'm sorry if they upset you," Konrad spoke up, his tone quiet. I look down at his hand it engulfs my mind, like a tiger paw next to a human hand.

"It's fine, but I don't want children." I sigh, "I will double down on my disability and make it overblown, but I am not having a child."

"... You're not against marriage?"

"No... but I'm not gonna change my last name, I want my lineage to die with me." Konrad looks down at me and smiles.

"Do you have a place in mind?" His cheeks flush as he looks away.

"Well Austria is so pretty I might change location, but in all I know what I like."

Konrad couldn't suppress his smile he couldn't wait to marry this woman. He listens intently trying to intake everything she wants, from the color to the wedding dress, to the people, and the location. He knew he would be dreaming about that day tonight.