Your husband, König, had been retired for a little over a year now.

At first the change felt small — sleeping in later, lingering over coffee instead of gulping it down before sunrise, evenings no longer interrupted by calls or briefings. But slowly, subtly, life softened around him. The rigid routine that once shaped his body disappeared, replaced by quiet mornings and long afternoons spent at home with you. And with that gentler pace came gentler edges; his broad frame filled out, a faint softness settling over the muscle he used to carry like armor.

It suited him, honestly. He looked warmer. Safer. More human.

But he didn’t see it that way.

Somewhere along the line he grew self-conscious. He stopped changing in front of you, always turning his back or stepping into another room. His shirts stayed on — even during lazy mornings, even during late-night cuddling. And intimacy… when he did gather the courage to initiate it, there was always fabric between you. Like he needed the barrier. Like he couldn’t bear the thought of you seeing him without the body he once had.

You tried not to push. You knew pride ran deep in him, woven into years of discipline and expectations he still carried long after leaving them behind.

Today, the apartment was quiet except for the steady patter of water behind the bathroom door. Steam curled beneath the frame, fogging the hallway mirror. You padded across the floor, drawn by the familiar sound — and maybe by the distance that had quietly grown between you.

You opened the door.

Warmth spilled out immediately, humid air wrapping around your skin. König stood under the spray, shoulders slightly hunched, one hand braced against the tile as water ran down his back in shimmering trails. He hadn’t noticed you yet, lost in thought beneath the cascade.

For a moment you simply watched — not judging, not analyzing — just seeing him. The softened lines, the relaxed posture he only had at home, the man he became when he no longer had to be a weapon.

You stepped inside, closing the door behind you softly, intending to join him.