Work Text:
You jumped with a startled gasp, dropping the papers in your grip as calloused hands covered your eyes.
“Peek-a-boo, guess who?” A familiar playful voice tinged with a German accent spoke into your ear. Your hands reached up to lightly touch the large hands covering your vision.
“Elias?” You asked softly, despite already knowing the answer. Only he would approach you like this.
“Ja, the one and only.” His hands moved to catch yours, giving you back your vision. You tilted your head back and smiled up at your German lover.
“You’re back early, welcome back.”
“Ja, hallo Hase, I’m happy to be back.” He bent down to press a kiss to your forehead, nuzzling his nose against yours and making you laugh at the ticklish sensation. His handsome face then morphed into a playful pout. “Though you were so occupied with this very, very interesting paperwork that you did not notice me come in.”
“Are you sure you didn’t just sneak in?” You wanted to poke him in rebuttal but he still had your hands captured in his. Grinning, he waved both your hands aimlessly.
“Me? A noisy man with a clanky shield?”
“You know what I’m talking about.” Now it was your turn to pout. You butted your head gently against his stomach. “You can be very quiet when you want to.”
“Mm sometimes maybe.” Elias hummed, now playing with your hair. “How about we put those sneaky sneak skills to use and slip out for lunch, eh?”
You’ll never know how you’ve ended up falling in love and being with someone as bright and jovial as Elias. How someone as quiet and shy as you would even catch the attention of someone as social and popular as him. It sounded quite a lot like some cheesy high school romance or a weirdly convenient story of how an ordinary protagonist would somehow end up with one of the most desirable bachelors out there. Though your first meeting was far from conventional.
-S-
It was on your third day at work that you were asked to sit in as hostage, replacing your colleague who had an urgent meeting to attend. Before they left you to it, they rattled off a bunch of information about what to expect and what to do. Being still new, you struggled to keep up with the barrage of operator names and gadgets you should look out for. What did stick in your head is that if you heard a pzzzt sound followed by pops, just brace yourself and pray not to get hit. Head still spinning with information, you showed up at the designated time where you were promptly taped up and directed to sit at a spot and not move. Mira, the only one you recognised as she was the director of R&D, flashed you a brief smile as she passed. A flurry of activity and shouts went on around you, as walls and windows were reinforced or broken, gadgets were set up and the various operators took their positions. Then for a few moments, it was silent.
A wall near you blew up without a warning and you barely managed to stifle a half-choked scream as you flinched and tried to curl in on yourself as much as possible in your current restrained position. Gunfire, shouts and grenades were exchanged all around you. And through all the chaos, you heard this loud, clanking noise. To the best of your knowledge and from the information overload your colleague gave you earlier, there were only three attacking operators that carried a shield. But as a figure charged through the smoke from a grenade, for the life of you, you couldn’t remember who this was and whether it was the one where your colleague warned you to for the love of all that is precious, close your fucking eyes.
Your answer came a moment later as the shield exploded in a burst of blinding light. You cried out in pain and shock through your taped mouth, your poor eyes blinded, watering and in pain.
“Ah shit.” An accented voice cursed as a strong hand urgently grabbed you and pulled you up to stand on your numb legs. “I am so sorry Hase. We got to go.” Without waiting for a response, the figure half-dragged, half-carried you towards an unknown direction. You forced your legs to move to cooperate with the unknown operator as much as you could, your eyes still closed and in pain. Chaos was erupting all around you, you were blind, dazed, scared and confused. You were not sure how far you went or how long everything lasted before you were deposited carefully on the ground.
The Attacker Team has successfully secured and extracted the hostage. Point to the Attackers. Prepare for round reset.
Oh right… you had to endure this for much longer than that. Wincing, you blinked your teary eyes.
“Sorry, I think you got the full force of the flash, Hase. Don’t worry, Doc will be over here soon.” A voiced laced with a German accent spoke to your right and you looked up. Your watery somewhat blurry eyes met the clear blue eyes of a helmeted man holding a shield. He was also wearing jeans and sneakers with his uniform. You suddenly recalled with great clarity the information your colleague all but threw at you. Oh, that would make him Blitz, right?
“Hase?” You muffled through your taped mouth.
“Oh cause you looked like a bunny! So wide-eyed, so cute and so fluffy.” You blinked up owlishly at him, partially cause your eyes were still smarting. “Just like right now!”
“Makes one appreciate how good the cameras are on these little drones.” He continued, pulling out a cylindrical black object with wheels. Oh. So that’s what those were. You had seen the operators go chasing after these tiny things and shooting them. One of them had come right up to you and you had sworn that its blinking light was staring right at you. Guess you weren’t wrong. Though you did wonder if that particular one had belonged to the German man.
“I see you are entertaining our colleague, Elias.” A smooth voice pulled you out of your thoughts. Another helmeted operator approached, the surgical gloves and insignia on his arm identifying him as Doc.
“The least I could do after I blinded them.” The other operator replied sheepishly. You could hear the doctor mutter, “again?” under his breath and easily summarised you were not the first victim nor likely the last. The doctor looked you over, asking you several questions along the way before clearing you as healthy and fit to continue your hostage duties. Blitz only wandered off once Doc had declared you were fine, giving you a wink and a two-fingered salute. Mentally, you shook your head. What an extrovert if you’ve ever seen one. Sighing, you got to your feet and prepared to be terrified for the next few rounds.
-S-
“Say would you let me buy you lunch, Hase?” A really handsome man with golden hair and bright blue eyes was leaning against the empty work cubicle next to yours. But you recognised that German-accented voice. You couldn’t forget it so soon after he had apologised profusely for blinding you again on the third round of practice training sessions that day. Doc had patted your arm in great sympathy that time. Your cheeks coloured and you cleared your throat.
“Food on the base is free.” You replied mildly.
“Oh right. But we can go to town for lunch?” He smiled brightly.
“Mr Kötz -”
“Elias.”
“Mr Blitz -”
“Elias.” He countered again with a breezy smile. You paused, biting on your lip hesitantly.
“Mr Elias -”
“Mein Gott! You are so adorable where did they find you?” He laughed as your blush deepened but you soldiered on.
“Mr Elias, if you’re feeling apologetic about the training session, don’t be. It’s part of the job.” He moved forward and folded his arms over the top of your cubicle wall and lowered his head to rest on them, giving you a first row view of that handsome face.
“And if I was interested in just getting to know you, Hase?” This man seemed to hit hard and hit fast, not unlike what you observed during the training session. You’ve only been here for about 10 days.
“I-I…then I’ll say it’s too soon.” You stuttered, lowering your head.
“Fair enough.“ He hummed unoffended. “Okay. How about we grab lunch at the cafeteria and I’ll tell you all about the operators and how to avoid the boo boos as a hostage eh?” You couldn’t help but smile at his choice of words and you found yourself nodding.
“Okay.” You whispered shyly, relenting under his persistence.
“Ah, Hase smiles, the heavens must be singing! Oh wait you agreed! Then we should go before they run out of the good stuff. There’s some really hungry, hungry people here.”
Really, the man was like a lightning. A bright shining lightning much like his codename.
-S-
True to his word, he furnished you with much more comprehensive information on the operators you would encounter in your hostage duties. Granted you knew a little better now having had observed first-hand some of the operators in action. His descriptors of some of his fellow operators had you giggling, but they were effective in helping the information stick in your mind. A muscled hand suddenly pulled the German man into a headlock.
“What lies are you spreading hmm mein freund?” Another blonde man with a German accent ruffled his hair.
“Ah this is Dominic!” Elias grinned pointing up at the man currently messing up his hair. “Don’t EVER go near his device battery or the nearby walls. You’ll get a nasty shock but the one escorting you should steer clear of it anyway.” You greeted the other man shyly but politely, offering up your name. Dominic’s eyes studied you for a moment before lighting up in recognition.
“You’re that Hase this idiot blinded twice last training session. Don’t worry I’ll help you take revenge now.”
“Hey I already apologise - HEY HEY MY BEAUTIFUL HAIR ! AUFHÖREN!”
“Um…” You raised your hand, unsure how to intervene.
“It’s okay, Hase. It will grow back.” Dominic grinned wickedly. The older German eventually released him, only because they were due for another engagement. Even being half-dragged away, Elias still managed to give you a huge grin and a two-fingered salute. You laughed to yourself as you cleared your table and readied yourself to get back to work.
-S-
You were staring. You needed to stop staring. But you kept staring, unable to tear your eyes away from the muscled figure of Elias running on the treadmill, the machines hooked up to him doing nothing to detract from the beauty of his form. A voice over the speaker system announcing the end of the test broke you out of your mesmerised state. And you wondered why for the fifth time why you were here, with a bottle of water and a towel. Oh right. You had come over to hand over some documents and needed to wait while they were getting approved. Before you knew it, a frantic staff from the division had grabbed you and practically pleaded for your help in monitoring some important data as their colleague suddenly came down with a bad bout of diarrhoea.
Life it seems, was made up of too convenient coincidences sometimes. Turns out the data you needed to help monitor was for the tests they were going to conduct on operator Blitz. So help you did until the ill colleague returned halfway through the tests, still looking a little pale but ready to continue his task. You had checked in on the documents then, but as luck would have it, the man with the diarrhoea was the approving officer. Having nothing else to do but wait, you had watched the tests for a while before noticing there was not much ready refreshments on site. When you asked the frantic staff that grabbed you earlier, they had lit up and pointed you in the right direction, and could you please help organise it if you have a moment to spare? Currently having nothing but time (and thankful that you didn’t have any urgent pending tasks awaiting you when you get back), you went as directed, leaving the section well organised along with a clean towel and a bottle in hand.
With the test over, you watched as Elias got off the treadmill, looking as energetic as ever. You gasped and averted your gaze as he suddenly lifted the bottom of his shirt to wipe his face. But not before you caught sight of some very sweaty chiselled abs. You were sure your cheeks were burning when you heard your name being called. You turned to see the German bounding towards you with a glorious smile, apparently still brimming full of energy despite all the rigorous tests he just went through.
“Hase! Have you come to be my personal cheerleader?” He enthused, smiling gratefully as he took the towel and bottle from you.
“Just waiting on some…” You trailed off as you watched the golden man before you uncap the bottle and took hearty gulps of water before pouring the rest over himself. You’ll go to your grave before admitting that you had stared at the way his Adam’s apple bobbed with each swallow or how the water trickled down his body over his shirt that became plastered over his hard chest. You tried not to gulp and hoped your face wasn’t burning red.
“Ahhh that hits the spot.” He breathed, running the towel over himself, though his gaze fixed on you. “Lab rats keeping you waiting?”
“No worries, they were quite occupied with you after all.” You replied mildly, gaze straying to the staff bent over the machines to avoid meeting his eyes.
“Hmm. Well won’t be long now, that was the last of it.” You peeked back at him to find him watching you with a smile. You averted your eyes again under the pretense of studying the test equipment.
“Do they run tests on you often?” You asked, your fingers playing with the hem of your top.
“Apparently whenever they feel like it.” The German laughed lightly. “But a number of times so far, if irregularly.” His smiling face popped into your view, head cocked to the side. “Why? Wanna come watch?”
“I-no-its… today was a coincidence!”You sputtered, blushing hard and turning away. The cursed man followed you.
“Aww why not? I’ll run faster and work harder if you are! If I hear a ‘You can do it Elias~’ I might even break the machines with my newfound energy.” You made a small helpless sound unsure how to deal with his flirting.
“Please don’t they cost a lot!” You practically squeaked the first thought that came to mind (and it was true) as you all but fled towards the staff since they seemed about ready to move on to other matters. The man had mercy on you, choosing to whistle happily instead as he followed you.
“Ah you’re here! Thanks for helping us out, here are the processed papers as promised.” You managed a thanks and controlled yourself to not snatch the papers in a bid to make a quick escape back to your quiet office cubicle. Casting them a brief smile and hoping your cheeks weren’t still blushing, you made your polite excuses to both parties and turned to leave.
“Many thanks as always Mr Kötz. We collected some very valuable data today.”
“Always a pleasure to help out.” You let the doors swish close behind you, cutting off the rest of the conversation. You wondered if you should had screwed it and hightailed back to your office for not two minutes later a very cheerful German man you thought you left behind fell into step beside you.
“What a beautiful day.” He hummed, stretching his arms up in the air as he walked.
“You know we’re indoors right? It could be raining heavily.” You gave him the side-eye.
“It’s beautiful because I got to see you today.” Blitz countered easily, totally unfazed.
“Flattery gets you nowhere with me, Mr Kötz. There is literally no advantage to buttering me up.” Despite the blush gracing your face, you tried to channel your best professional persona that you’ve observed from your various bosses and colleagues. But who were you kidding, you were really shy and quiet at the core. And you were no match for a formidable opponent like operator Blitz who seemed determined to break down your walls. Case in point incoming in 3…2…1…
“That’s Elias to you, little Hase.” The golden man smiled cheekily. And that nickname.
“You seem to respond well enough to Mr Kötz as I’ve heard earlier.” You replied firmly, looking straight ahead.
“Of course. But you’re special.”
“Because you blinded me twice…?”
“Oh nah the record is still Mr Jericho, I’ve accidentally blinded him four times in one session. Never saw him again on hostage rotation in any sessions when I’m around. Man still looks at me funny and quickly walks away in the other direction whenever he sees me.” You bit your lip and tried very hard not to laugh at the plight of poor Mr Jericho.
“Don’t worry Hase, last I heard the man still has perfect 20/20 vision.” That did it for you as you burst out laughing, stopping completely in your tracks and leaning against the wall for support as you laughed. You wiped the tears from your eyes as you calmed down, glancing over to see Blitz grinning at you.
“You have a pretty laugh, Hase. Beautiful smile too. You shouldn’t hide it.” You were saved from having to come up with a response when you heard your name being called.
“Hey! Boss needs us for a quick team meeting, you coming?” Your colleague called out from a little ways down the corridor. They noticed Blitz and gave a friendly wave. “Oh hey Mr Kötz. Gonna be stealing them from you now.”
“If you must.” The German man sighed dramatically waving you on as if he was performing a great favour. You huffed out a quiet laugh which bought a smile to his face.
“Have a good day Mr Kötz.” You bid him farewell politely, emphasising your formal address.
“See you around little Hase.” He grinned, doing the same, giving you a salute as you left. You shook your head mentally. Gosh this happy man. But oh did he make you smile.
-S-
Your heart hadn’t stopped pounding ever since you heard that one of the deployed teams had returned from their mission, along with the news that operator Blitz had gotten injured. The initial news didn’t say how serious it was and it left your mind to wander and fret, at some point devolving into anxious scenarios that imagined the worst of the worst. Further updates came hours later to report that he had only suffered moderate injuries. Some bedrest and a short time on light duty would be all that was needed from here on out. You had breathed a sigh of relief then. Its normal to worry about your friends or people you are friendly with right? You refused to examine your feelings and behaviour further than this. What did remain a fact was that you had been utterly unproductive today - staring blankly at the same line and reading it over and over again, making “progress” only to look back and immediately spot a multitude of mistakes. It was a really good thing you were ahead of your schedule. Eventually, the work day came to a long-drawn out end.
You wanted to see him.
You, and just about most of the base it seemed. People went in and out Blitz’s room like a revolving parade, as if they all came to see a celebrity. Jovial laughter filled the room. Even if you could find it in you to overcome your shyness, your insecurity was there to check you. Watching all these people with an obvious strong sense of friendship and camaraderie with him and each other made you feel like an outsider, or worse an interloper. You gave up, making the decision to go without greeting him. You’ve seen him, he was fine and that was enough for you. Just as you turned to leave, his blue eyes caught yours and he lit up like a powerful lighting across the black night sky.
“Hase!” You could see him mouth, a happy smile on his face as he gave you a wave. You were extremely self-conscious of the curious glances the people in the room were casting you as you shyly waved back. “Come on in.” The golden man mouths, beckoning you. Timidly you shook your head, darting a quick glance at the people around him. Most of them had turned away upon not recognising you, though Dominic, the only person you recognised, gave you a kind smile. Another individual was still staring openly at you, only to stop when a woman with short brown hair and a scar across her face smacked them on the upside of the head.
———
Elias pouted and then smiled, mouthing once more, “Then come see me again some time.” He watched as they gave a tiny nod and fled.
“Look like we scared them away.” Giles frowned, looking towards the doorway.
“Who are they?” Marius piped up, curiously leaning out as if to catch a glimpse of you fleeing.
“His little Hase.” Dominic barked out a laugh. “He’s been chasing them around since he blinded them twice in their first training session.”
“Ah! A love at first flash.” Marius hit on the point enthusiastically.
“Probably not. Their vision was likely too clouded in stars to see Elias’ pretty face.” Dominic scoffed, rolling his eyes as he leaned against the wall of the medical ward.
“They did stare at me for awhile.” Elias joked, a wide grin on his face as he recalled how adorably you had blinked up at him.
“Probably in disorientation.” Giles muttered earning a sheepish laugh from Elias. The others laughed along too, Elias’ blinding of the hostages being on par with Ying’s and Fuze’s reputations among the hostages.
“So, the quiet type eh?” Lera chimed in slyly, getting to the heart of the matter.
“Nope, not the type. Only them.” Elias returned easily with a smile. Silently, the visitors in the room wished you good luck. Somewhere in the base, you sneezed, refusing to think anything further of the cause of it but dust in the air.
-S-
You resolved to go through with you non-verbal promise to visit Elias again, regardless if he already had other visitors or not. It wouldn’t hurt if it’s just a short drop in right? You tried not to clutch the snacks you brought like a lifeline. You had heard that they were his favourites but it was only after you bought them that you belatedly realised that others may have had the same thought. Well, you guess he could just enjoy more of it. When you poked your head into the medical ward he was currently in, you were surprised to find it devoid of visitors. Elias sat propped up in bed, reading a book with a title you couldn't quite parse. As if sensing your presence, he looked up, his face lighting up in a bright smile at the sight of you.
"Hase, you came!" He enthused, marking his place and shutting his book.
"Hello," you greeted him shyly. "How are you feeling?"
"Booooored. I'm very ready to leave this bed." The man pouted as he set the book on the nearby nightstand. “The appeal has worn off and no one comes to see me anymore. So it’s just me and my lonesome self until the doctors are satisfied they have tortured me enough,” The German man heaved a dramatic sigh.
“Are you fully healed now?” You asked as you approached his bedside slowly.
“Almost. Two more days then I will be out of here, though I’ll still be on light duty so no circus tricks for me.” His eyes landed on the bag of snacks you were holding. “Is that what I think it is?” You nodded and pulled a couple of the snacks out of the bag.
“I’ve checked and they shouldn’t affect your healing process. In moderation of course.” You smiled, shaking the packets lightly.
“Wow, I hadn’t had these in a long while!” Elias' beautiful blue eyes lit up like a child on Christmas morning. You held out a packet to the German man only to look at him in puzzlement as he made no move to take it. Instead he cocked his head slightly, a glint in his eyes.
“Oh Hase, I suddenly feel no strength in my hands. I will be so grateful for your great kindness if you could feed me pretty please?” You were not ready for the full force of his puppy eyes, a most effective tactic that you had never encountered before. Blushing heavily, you looked away.
“F-fine." You conceded way too easily, desperate for his assault on you to stop. He watched you happily as you set aside the rest of the snacks, carefully tearing open the remaining packet in your hands. Picking up the snack between your fingers, you brought it to his mouth. His eyes never leaving yours, he took the snack into his mouth, his lips making a soft but brief contact with your fingers. You weren't sure if it was intentional or not but it had you blushing anew once more.
"Mmmm, it tastes so much better than I remember!" Elias commented happily as he chewed on the snack. "More please, Hase." You obliged him. It was cute really, how he genuinely enjoyed the snack and how he didn't even notice the crumbs sticking to the side of his mouth. After you fed him the last piece, you lightly brushed the crumbs away. You gasped as he suddenly caught your hand in a firm grip, his tongue darting out to lick the crumbs from your fingertips. "Good to the last crumb." He murmured lowly, his sensual tone sending shivers down your spine. Your cheeks getting hot once again, you practically snatch your hand from his and averted your gaze.
"I-I thought you said you didn't have strength in your hands." You said accusingly, your hands restlessly fiddling with the edge of the bedsheet.
"I regained some from the snack, even got an extra bonus from my beautiful Hase feeding me too." He replied easily.
"You're impossible." You bit your lip as you looked down.
"On the contrary, I am very much possible." There was a beat of silence as you couldn't think of a response. The German man called your name softly, something in his voice prompting you to look up at him.
"Do you dislike me?" He asked, an oddly vulnerable look in his eyes.
"What?" You blurted out surprised before shaking your head vehemently. "No, no. It's just that you're always so confident and constantly know what to say. And I don't always know how to respond. I... I'm just the lame old me." You startled slightly at the feel of his calloused hand covering yours.
"Hase." He said firmly. "To me, you are one of the most lovely and expressive persons I have ever met. I could watch you forever and I'll fight anyone who says you're boring just because you're a little shy. And hey, don't you notice me trying to get your precious attention?"
"Y-you want my attention?" You asked surprised. You weren't dense but neither were you one to jump to conclusions in matters of the heart, especially if it involved someone as social and jovial as Elias. For all you knew, he was like this with everyone.
"Of course! Who wouldn't want the attention of someone as beautiful as you Hase? Ahh it's like the high school years all over again." The golden man grinned, the vulnerable look now gone from his eyes.
"Liar...you were probably popular then too and didn't really need to try to get anyone's attention."
"Well... yes...?" You couldn't help but laugh at the sheepish look he gave you, which quickly turned into a smile at the sound of your laugh.
"But I'm really serious Hase. I do want your attention." Again, you bit your lip, unsure on how to reply to his candid words. In this case, perhaps it was just best to be honest yourself. Shyly you met his friendly but serious gaze.
"And I really do wonder why Elias. The light you shine when you walk into a room, when you engage with people... its undeniable. People are drawn to you and want to be around you. I am nothing like that, and I do not know what you see in me." You could see him slowly digest your quiet explanation. He seemed to hit upon something as his lips spread into an easy smile.
"If I may be so audacious, for the sake of complimenting you, to compare myself to the light shining from the sun, then you would be the gentle light reflected off the moon. A close and quiet companion, a feeling of serenity to the feeling of the brilliant light. That's what you are and have become to me, Hase. That's the feeling I got the moment I first saw you in the chaos of that training session. You may have looked like a unsure little frightened bunny, but there was this innate calm around you. That helped me feel grounded." He took a breath and added in a slightly cheekier tone, "And of course I just thought, and still think, you look both adorable and beautiful little Hase."
The German man was being completely serious, but it nonetheless left you a blushing mess with a flurry of thoughts, none of which was even remotely coherent enough to be able to form an adequate reply. You were saved from having to reply from a knock on the door, which turned out to be the doctor on duty doing his daily rounds. You excused yourself, giving Elias a shy wave on the way out which was returned in kind with his signature smile.
-S-
Much as your shy instincts demanded that you avoid the man, you resisted the urge. It wasn't fair to do so when he had been open and frank about his feelings towards you. Instead you engaged with him when he approached you, albeit in your own shy way. You and Elias fell into a very easy pattern, and he was patient even when you weren't sure how to respond to his more candid words. These little talks and conversations led you to learn more about the man behind operator Blitz. He learnt more about you too, and had taken to bringing you little souvenirs from missions and trips while on leave.
He would show up at your office, waited patiently till you were free, then lean over the top of your cubicle. It became a sort of game where he would make you guess where he had been. Regardless of whether you guessed correctly or no, he would present you the souvenir with a brilliant smile. The first was from his hometown. It took the place of honour as the first in the rows of many cute little objects that now lined your desk and work cubicle. You soon found yourself missing him when he wasn't around, and looked forward to when you'll next see him. So much so, that you also began to seek him out at times too, where appropriate.
So it had come as a surprise to Elias when he had turned up at your office to find your desk empty with no signs of you being there despite it being your working day. Your colleague had informed him that you had come down with a flu and was resting. That was how you found yourself dragging yourself out of bed, pulling a mask on with a blanket draped around your shoulders upon hearing the knock on your door. Opening the door slightly, you peeked out to see Elias standing there with a smile on his face.
"Hallo Hase." He greeted you cheerfully, "I come bearing gifts for the patient." The German man lifted up a bag containing what you presumed was food. Before you could reply, you sneezed, rearing back and turning away as a coughing fit followed. When your body finally settled, you looked back to see him watching you with a worried expression on his face. "May I come in?”
"You better not." You shook your head, your voice stuffy and dry from the cold. "I don't want you catching this."
"Have you eaten Hase?" He asked, eyeing you seriously, a hand on the door as if to prevent you from closing it. When had you last eaten you wondered. It seemed quite some time since you've lost your appetite.
"N-not really." You admitted guiltily as you averted your gaze, clutching your blanket closer around you.
"Then its’s time to eat." Elias stated, pulling the door open.
"But -"
"Its okay Hase I'll be fine! I'm in peak condition. And also I won't do anything dishonourable to you don't worry." His blue eyes twinkled as he moved forward, leaving you no choice but to step back and let him in. The food that he brought turned out to not only be nutritious but delicious as well. You ended up finishing all of it despite your lack of appetite while Elias looked on in approval. Vaguely remembering that Elias had recently gotten back from a mission, you asked him about it. It soon evolved into an easy conversation, with Elias doing most of the talking. Though he did mention he'll present his usual souvenir to you once you were better. Before you realised it, you found yourself nodding off and eventually falling asleep.
Unbeknownst to you, your body had come to rest against Elias, who had actually paused and eventually stopped talking once he felt your head nudge against him. For a moment, he just watched you sleep, a soft smile on his face.
“Can I just have one indulgence Hase?” He whispered to your slumbering form. Gently he gathered you into his arms, such that you were now cradled safely in his lap, your head resting against his chest. A little sound escaped you in your sleep and you stirred, your nose coming to rest against his neck, just where his slightly quickening pulse could be felt. He held you preciously like this for a few moments, savouring the feel of you against him and wistfully thinking that this is what it would be like if you were his.
“Soon maybe.” Elias muttered out loud, breaking the spell on his own. Readjusting his grasp on you, he stood up and walked over to your bed. The German man laid you down gently, smoothly tucking the covers over you as you continued to sleep peacefully despite the movements. A loving look in his eyes, he bends down and presses a tender kiss to your forehead. “Get well soon, liebling. I’ll see you soon.”
You dream of the warm sunshine as Elias gathered the empty food containers and left your room, closing the door quietly behind him.
-S-
True to his word, Elias really didn’t get sick. He had swung by your desk a couple of days after you had recovered to give you the usual souvenir as promised. And there he was, fit as a fiddle in all his brilliant smiling glory. You wanted to shake your head at how terribly resiliently healthy he was but really you were just glad that he was okay. You thanked him for the delicious food and for kindly tucking you back into bed when you had accidentally fallen asleep on him. The German man casually waved off your thanks though he did lever a partially stern look, telling you to eat properly when you were sick or he would make you. You had nodded meekly, followed up with a squeak as he ruffled your hair in satisfaction.
Things between the two of you didn’t change much after, even as your feelings continued to grow. It got to the point that you wondered if you had hallucinated or misunderstood what Elias had said in the medical wing. Though notably, he fussed a lot over you if you so much as got a scratch during training sessions, much to the amusement of Doc.
“Maybe stop accidentally blinding them first, mon ami.” The doctor had half joked at one point. Elias had then turned his sad guilty puppy eyes to you. He had look so adorable then that you had smiled and patted his arm comfortingly, telling him that he was just doing his job and was already doing his best. Besides, the number of such occurrences had greatly lessened and you had also learnt some tricks in avoiding not only his flash but other forms of injuries as well. He had perked up at your encouragement then, and you were secretly reminded of a Leonberger dog you had once seen on television.
-S-
You were searching high and low for your phone but to no avail. Huh. Where did you put it?
“Oh Hase, is this what you’re looking for?” You turned to see Elias lounging on your loveseat, lazily holding up your phone. Earlier, Elias had come over to… what did he come over here for? Oh right. You had stopped him before he could say anything past “Hallo” since you were frantically searching for your device.
“Oh thank you, I really need to reply some messages.” You walked over to take the phone from him only for his hand to move it out of your reach.
“Dawww you only pay attention to me when I have what you’re looking for?” The German man pouted, moving your phone out of your reach again as you tried once more to get it.
“Elias, I really need to - oof!” He had waited till you were in the prime pose of half leaning over him before he had made his move, pulling you onto the loveseat and reversing your positions such that you were pinned under him. You stared up surprised and wide-eyed at him.
“Finally got your attention little Hase.” He grinned and then, he was kissing you. You were stiff with surprise at first. But as his lips moulded insistently against yours, you melted into him, your eyes fluttering shut. You could feel him smile against your lips as you shyly kissed him back, a soft noise escaping you as he kissed you harder, a quick nip to your bottom lip eliciting a silent gasp from you and granting his tongue deeper access into you. A need for air had you both reluctantly parting from each other, a crisp ping from your phone following soon after. To your slight horror, you watched as Elias tossed your phone to your bed.
“They can wait a few more minutes.” He growled slightly, already closing in on you once more. “Gott knows how long I have waited for my turn.” It was by no means one sided, you could blushingly recall how your hands had tangled in his silky golden hair and shyly explored his muscular body, just as he explored yours. You could swear his kisses were a magical spell that made you lose track of everything but him.
It was at least a good fifteen more minutes before Elias had let you up, breathless and panting. Even then, he refused to let you go completely, burying his face in your hair and pressing little chaste kisses to your skin that nevertheless distracted you immensely as you replied your messages. When you were finally done (and made sure you didn’t mistype anything embarrassing), Elias was playing with your hair.
“So about that lunch date Hase…” Elias began lazily, his free hand tracing slight patterns on your thigh.
“Food on the base is still free.” You replied equally as mildly as the first time.
“Mhm, so how about I buy you lunch in town instead?” He leaned over your shoulder, head tilted so his eyes could meet yours.
“Sure.” You smiled softly. “Do you have any places in mind?” You would never forget the brilliant smile that spread over his face at your words. He leaned in ever so closer.
“Ja, I can think of a few.” He whispered before his lips met yours once more.
-S-
It seemed impossible, but Elias seemed to shine brighter after you both got together. Dominic had aptly described his colleague as “disgustingly happy” though you knew it was said with fondness. Hell you even agreed with the man when you saw how dopily Elias had smiled when you scolded him for being careless as you patched up some of his minor wounds.
Loving Elias was like the shy moon loving the brilliant sun. But oh how you bloomed under his love, his constant encouragements allowing you to grow more confident in yourself though you were still inherently shy. Still, just as you refused to take credit for his improved performance at work, he too insisted that your growth was all you while he was merely the cheerleader.
Perhaps it was not really love at first flash but Elias was decisive, and tended to hit hard and fast, just like his lovemaking. The mere thought of the “adventures” in bed was a guarantee to make you a blushing mess. Heaven forbid should Elias ever catch you in that state for endless teasing and an inevitable recreation of said “adventures” was soon to follow.
In the gentle light of the moon, Elias lie awake, watching his little Hase sleep peacefully in his arms, the blanket covering their naked form. Under the moonlight, you looked like an ethereal spirit, crossed over to the mortal realm and meeting one very normal German man. If you were awake, you would insist he was the special one and not you. But well, he would agree to disagree. They say love can be blind. But he should know better, he deals with flashes in his every day work. And right now, he sees you clear as can be, and the gentle light you shine right from the first time he saw you.