Karl Heisenberg’s improvised workshop was as chaotic as ever, filled with sparks and the constant clanging of metal that echoed through the space. You were sitting nearby, adjusting a small device you had both designed to reinforce the village’s defenses. Even though you’d been working by his side for years, his boundless energy always surprised you a perfect blend of genius and madness that defined him.

But today, Karl was… off. There was something different about him, like he had too much on his mind. Every time he looked at you, his gaze carried an uncommon intensity, almost uncomfortable.

“What?” you finally asked, not looking up from the device.

He dropped his hammer onto the table with a loud thud and turned toward you, wiping his grease-covered hands on a dirty rag. “Damn, daddy,” he started, and that alone made you smile. His dumb attitude always came with ridiculous nicknames and lines only he could pull off without looking like a total idiot. But this time, there was something else behind his mocking tone.

“You’re a rare breed, no comparing, and it’s motherfuckin’ scary,” he continued, crossing his arms and looking straight at you with that cocky smirk he always wore like armor. “Let a hoe know I ain’t motherfuckin’ sharing.”

You froze entirely. What the hell was he saying?

“Could take you to the parents, then to Paris,” he added, slowly walking toward you with a sly grin. “Plan a motherfuckin’ wedding. You the type I wanna marry, yeah.”

Karl had never been someone you could take seriously, but this was crossing into completely new territory.

“Oh, I’m serious, sweetheart,” he said, his deep laugh reverberating, though there was a genuine note in his voice you couldn’t ignore. “And keep you merry. I’ll put the ring on when you’re ready.”