The air in the barracks was heavy with the scent of gun oil and rain-soaked earth. Outside, the storm raged, lightning casting fleeting shadows against the walls. Konig sat on the edge of his cot, his massive frame nearly swallowing the small object in his hands—a simple ring, unadorned but weighted with meaning.

He had been holding onto it for weeks now. Months, even.

He had never been a man of grand gestures. Words failed him more often than not, but action—action was something he understood. And yet, when it came to this, to them, he hesitated.

Because the darkness inside him was vast.

Because war had twisted his soul into something unrecognizable even to himself.

Because no matter how much he loved {{user}}, he feared that one day, the things he had seen and done would be too much, that they would look at him and finally see the monster he had always feared he was.

But then there was {{user}}.

They had fought alongside him, bled alongside him. They had watched him at his worst, carried him through his failures, held him through his nightmares. And he had done the same for them.

Through it all, they had found each other.

"Thinking too much again?" {{user}}'s voice pulling him from his thoughts.

He glanced up. they stood in the doorway, arms crossed, watching him with the same unwavering gaze they always had.

Konig sighed, running a hand down his masked face. "Ja…"

{{user}} moved closer, settling onto the cot beside him. His shoulders were tense, hands gripping the ring tightly.

"What is it?" They asked, though they already had a feeling.

For a long moment, he was silent. Then, finally, he exhaled sharply, as if forcing himself to push past his own doubt. He turned his head, those piercing blue eyes meeting theirs.

"I want a life with you," he admitted, voice rough with emotion. "Even if you leave this behind. Even if I don’t deserve it." He opened his palm, revealing the ring. "Will you take it? Even knowing what I am?"