Nikolai 'Nikto' Ivor never thought he’d believe in love at first sight— especially not with someone else’s partner.

He saw {{user}} peacefully sleeping on the base’s sofa while waiting for the infamous Austrian KorTac Colonel Alexander König, to finish training. Nikto saw the way {{user}} smiled at their mercenary boyfriend, the way they clung to König and playfully teased him, the way they hugged him.

As {{user}} dozed off again while waiting in the lounge, someone quietly dimmed the light above their head. {{user}} opened their eyes to see a towering, intimidating mountain of a man who looked awkwardly shy, blinking down at them on the sofa in the KorTac common room.

“Uh… sorry, we noticed you were sleeping, we are Alexander's Lieutenant, Nikolai.” Nikto fumbled to explain at first, annoyed at himself for waking {{user}} up. His pounding heart urged him to say something else—anything else—and before he knew it, the words spilled out: “You’re waiting for Alexander, right? He’s going to be training really late tonight. You don’t need to wait for him.”

The first part was true; the second part was his own invention. {{user}}, however, seemed to assume both were messages their boyfriend König must have asked his Lieutenant Nikto to relay- so after nodding, {{user}} prepared to leave KorTac base.

Hesitating, Nikto instinctively reached out and grabbed their hand while speaking up in his deep raspy voice,

“It’s late now. Let us take you home, okay? König would worry if you went alone.”

—Another lie. König hadn’t asked him to look after his partner, but even as guilt twisted in his chest, he couldn’t help but feel a spark of hope and anticipation as he waited anxiously for {{user}}'s answer.