Chapter Text
"Da. I'm at the location. Where are the others staying?"
...
"Okay. I will give you a heads up once I have settled."
The soldier marched through endless fields of green, targeting an abandoned house, which was supposed to be his overnight stay for a mission. It was more of a wet foggy day , the sun didnt come through and it got quite cold at this hour.
He looked at the little house as he approached it. It wasnt as damaged as the others in the village, and it seemed warm. It was probably very cozy living here, before the war, of course.
"Let's get settled then..", he mumbled to himself as he entered the house. Closing the door behind him with a rusty click. The interiors were actually not that bad. It might need a little dusting , but that was about it. The pictures on the wall are still in place, the chairs were all still standing. "This family must have been lucky. Perhaps they were able to flee before the bombs fell." He looked around the living room, taking a deep breath in. The smell of dust and wood were present .. and the smell of cooked food..?
His eyebrows were knitted together as he looked around again, turning himself once, twice. The look of confusion was set on his face behind his dark mask.
Theres no possibility that theres survivors left. This village was evacuated months before the mission even began. It shouldve been a resting place before the actual attack on a base about 15km away. Yet there he stood, sniffing the air, looking for traces of living, hands on his weapon.
"What are you doing in my house?", a soft shaky voice emited from the entrance behind him. He turned around, gun drawn.
"What the hell are you doing here?", he asked lowly, trying not to scare her too much.
"I-i , um i live here" she replied, hands automatically in the air, showing she has no weapon on her. He took her frame in, jeans with a plain tshirt and some sneakers. Her hair was in a ponytail, some falling in her face. She had thick eyebrows with beautiful (y/c) eyes. Her plump rosy lips were quivering.
"You shouldnt be here anymore. This area is forbidden for civilians now. Why werent you evacuated?", he sternly asked. Taking steps towards her, still holding up the gun.
"I know , i refused to leave."
"Refused? Why arent you brave."
He was right in front of her now. She seemed tiny compared to his frame. Suddenly he pushed her harshly against the wall behind them, one hand reaching around her throat.
"You better tell me this is some sick joke. Theyre sending girls as spies now? Do we look this stupid to you?"
The woman tried to free herself, arms grabbing the one on the throat. He squeezed tighter and she wasnt able to leave his grasp now. He pointed the gun directly at ther head now.
"Please! Stop! I dont know what youre talking about! Let me go!!", she squeaked, tears filling her scared eyes. Now was probably the wrong time to think about this, but god this was the first time in ages he had seen a girl before. Especially this pretty. He tried to clear his mind. He wasnt prepared for something like this.
"I apologize, I have to do this.", he said, as he spun her around so her back was facing his chest. He put his right arm around her throat, disregarding his weapon and putting it back in place.
"You will not die." Was the last thing she heard before the intruder squeezed her blood flow shut. A tingly sensation swept over her, dark spots were forming around her sight as she passed out.
He picked her up and gently laid her on the sofa in the living room. Enjoying the silence again. He knelt before her still body, checking for a pulse and normal breathing. He watched as her chest rose and fell , and then regarded her face. Paying attention to her details, her pointy nose , her lashes, her rosy cheeks.
"Ah how cute. We went a bit hard on her, didnt we?", he said to himself.
He stroked her cheek, putting away the hair that was in her face.
He stood up again. Thoughts racing. Should he call the boss? No this would make it too complicated. He might need to kill her.. Maybe if he kept her a secret, no one will notice.
He sat down at the chair opposite of the sofa, watching her figure again.
He'll have to wait until she wakes up..
.....
It didnt take too long for her to open her eyes again. She wouldnt move yet , tried to make sense of the situation. "What the fuck happened and who the hell is in my house??" was the first thought that came to mind. She looked around carefully, not trying to get his attention. Right, him.. The only thing she could remember was that he was scary looking. Real scary looking. He had some kind of pilot wear on and this mask. It looked like it were two pieces, black like tar. Like a killer out of a slasher movie. And he had a thick russian accent, atleast she suspected it was russian.
The same voice that made her blood freeze was now ripping her out if her thoughts.
"Slept well, yes? I am sorry, I didnt want to be this harsh."
He had a low, sultry voice. If it werent for this situation, she might have enjoyed him talking. She propped herself up on one elbow, scratching her head with the other arm. Worried eyes shot up to where he sat, her body stiffened at the sight.
"Dont worry, girl. I promise I will not hurt you. I searched the house and didnt see anything suspicious. You must have said the truth."
She sat straight up, her back pressed into the sofa. She didnt dare to look at the mask, so she looked at her hands fidgeting. She could feel his gaze on her, tracing over every inch of her body. Her heart began to beat faster.
Suddenly he stood up, taking slow strides towards her. Looking down at her, he gently grabbed her chin, making her look up at him.
The suggestive and submissive position she was in made her heart beat even faster and the feeling that pooled in her tummy that she tried to ignore was stronger than before.
His strong gaze on her was burning hot on her skin, she couldnt keep the eye contact, now meekly staring at his torso. It was beginning to grow hot in this room, tension like a balloon that was about to pop. The uncomfortable situation making her sweat. She will have to break the silence, he seems like he was enjoying himself. She on the other hand, was on the verge of tears.
"I-" she clumsily stuttered, "erm, i refused to leave this town because I didnt want to give in. I didnt want them to take our land. And so I stayed. Its been going fine the last two months. I have a small farm and a garden. Here is everything I n-need."
She looked up at him with big watery eyes. Looking for some kind of response, a reassuring nod or a gun to her head. Something. But he just watched her carefully. Making her seem like a child thats trying to explain herself.
He let go of her face slowly. He looked like he was processing, thinking about what to do. He was overwhelmed, that she knew. Apparently, something like this shouldnt happen. She needed to act now or she might be dead later.
So she sunk to her knees, arms reaching out to his thighs, grabbing his trousers to pull him closer. She started pleading and crying, pulling him closer into a hug. She must look so pathetic right now. But her instincts were forcing her.
"Please im begging you. Spare my life please! I will do anything for you. I can cook for you! I can clean your gun or something!! Please dont kill me.."
She sobbed into his thighs, not letting him go. She was too scared to look up now, too scared to face the consequences. But he didnt push her away. He was still just watching her, unfazed.
It seemed to him like the big wave of her panic attack was finished, now that he could only hear her sniffle and trying to soothe herself as she hugged his legs.
And, out of all the scenarios that she calculated, this would have been one of the very last. He put his hand on top of her head. The guy with the horrifying mask was patting her head. Her eyes shot open at the realization. Too confused, too riled up to make any sense of what the hell is going on right now.
"Calm down, youre going to give yourself a heart attack."
Her head snapped up at him. She was right, he was still watching her. He bent down to her and got her up to her feet. Now they were standing in front of each other again. Like a few minutes ago but without the gun. It was a totally different situation. This was the most intimate moment she shared with someone for months. It was different how she imagined. Less dangerous maybe, less guns and less russian accent.
"I told you, I wont hurt you again." he started. His big hands coming up to cup her face and wiping away her shed tears. "I believe you. You would make a horrible spy." he laughed.
The situation felt so surreal. The masked man that was so close to putting a bullet between her eyes moment ago was now laughing and wiping away her tears. It was a hearty laugh, it sounded like a grizzly bear's. And in this moment of confusion, still looking like a deer in headlights. She smiled back at him.
"I didnt want to scare you that bad. Im only staying here for a few nights, youll need to make room for me."
His gloved hands felt warm, they could almost cup her whole head. He looked so broad and huge. Then he pulled his hands away. She was suprised how that upset her.
"I will.. make us some tea, then." She looked him directly in the eyes. Beautiful, wise dark blue eyes looking back at her. She could see the little crinkles around them after she said it. He was smiling at her offering.
...
The tension didnt seem to disappear. She started boiling water for the tea, looking out the kitchen window with a thoughtful look on her face. He sat down on the sofa again, waiting patiently and quietly. The silence was very present again, almost unbearable. Someone had to speak, now.
"So, can you tell me why you have to stay here?"
Her soft voice disturbed the silence. Already regretting the attempt, her voice sounded squeaky and annoying to her ears. She didnt want to look at him, still staring out the window.
"I cant tell you more than i already did. No one was supposed to see us."
She swallowed. Carefully replaying his words in her mind. He really did have a pleasant voice.
"Us? There is more of you?"
She blurted out, before rethinking her question.
"Stop asking questions that might get you in trouble, little one."
She felt a shiver down her spine after he said that, goosebumps spreading over her whole body. His voice changed slightly, having a more darker undertone. Now it was back to the silence again. And he wont break it, that she knew. Fortunately enough, the tea was pretty much done. She set the two nicest cups and the tea pot on a tablet and carried it carefully to the little table between the sofa and the chair.
"Thank you. Can I ask you your name?"
His eyes fixated on her as she sat down opposite of him. Her eyes darted up to meet his. An unsure look made itself visible on her features. Hesitant to answer his question, she squirmed uncomfortably on the chair.
"My name is .. y/n."
The woman looked up at the masked soldier again, waiting for a reaction. She didnt see his mouth moving behind the mask. Quietly tasting her name on his toungue. How nice it sounded. How well it fit her.
"What a beautiful name you have. Where I come from, they call me Nikto."
Y/n felt her body tense up, hearing him speak his tongue. So it was russian, she was right. Oh how she would melt if he talked some more. Trying to stop her wandering gaze and her very obvious body language, she waited for a reaction. Which was dumb, since she was only able to see his eyes.
"Thats russian, right? W-what does that mean?"
She really couldnt help her curiosity. She tried, but being quiet about things that interest her wasnt easy. He chuckled at her question, reaching out to grab the pot to pour himself some hot, relaxing tea. He tried to remember when was the last time he drank a cup of tea.
"Smart girl you are, y/n. Yes, russian is my mother tongue. It means No one."
His slow and relaxed movements made her ease up a bit. Not feeling threatened anymore. She smiled at his praise, since it seemed to be honest. She was well aware that special ops normally had some code name. Something easy to say, something cool sounding but not revealing any information. A code name.
But 'No one'? That sounded odd to her ears. Reminded her of the greek mythology story about Odysseus and the cyclops. But it also sounded sad, terrible even. She tried to slowly approach him with lighthearted questions, so he doesnt shut down.
"That sounds mysterious." she started, taking a sip of her tea. It was still way too hot and she accidentally burnt her lip on it.
"Where did you get that name from?"
She was trying to get a conversation started. A conversation that consisted of him talking about his life and her listening closely, absorbing every word that leaves his mouth.
"It became a word to adress me after a failed mission. I was imprisoned and freed after a longer time. I wouldnt say its creative, but people do what they want."
He didnt look at her while he shared a little of his story. His voice seemed more supressed, like he wasnt allowed to talk about it and was scared someone would catch him. He seemed very uncomfortable now and she observed that very early. Y/n was quite sensitive when it came to social cues. She knew how people were feeling without them telling. If she asked any more questions now, she might regret it later.
He felt his body beginning to numb, he couldnt concentrate anymore on her even though he tried so hard to. He tried fixating on her smell, her frame, her voice. But he felt his sweaty grip on reality loosen. A rope he couldnt hold anymore. A familiar feeling settled in his body. Like his intestines didnt experience gravity anymore, his sight turning unclear.
He suddenly stood up, shaking the table and spilling a bit of tea on the tablet.
"I feel tired, is there a bed upstairs?"
His voice was rushed and the sudden movement scared her, making her flinch backwards. She looked at him, trying to find something that went wrong. Something she said? Was the tea too sweet? She gawked at his intimidating frame. His eyes didnt seem to focus on anything. He looked real scary right now.
"Y-yes, there is. You can use mine. Is there something wrong, Nikto?"
Her worried soft voice made him grab onto a piece of reality again. She called his name. He was real. He was real.
"Y/n. 'M sorry. I need some rest."
Without her showing the rooms upstairs, he left the living room to lock himself in somewhere. He didnt trust himself, he was afraid of hurting her in this delirious state.
As he stormed outside the room, leaving y/n confused and worried and alone. She tried to calm herself again as her heart beat out of her chest again. Thats how much he startled her.
She took his cup into her hands, the tea still in it. Then it dawned on her, my god how stupid and clumsy she was. He couldnt have drank the tea, he had a mask on. She faceplamed herself mentally. She didnt know he wouldnt take off his mask but now that seems logical. He hid his identity, like every special op would do.
"You are an embarassment." she muttered to herself.
Y/n stood up, searching the room to which Nikto went, which to her surprise was her bedroom. She knocked on the door carefully but he didnt respond. She didnt know what to say, so she just laid his mug on the floor in hopes he can still enjoy it when she isnt there.
She came back into the living room, wiping away the spilled tea and putting the tablet on the kitchen table. Dishes will have to wait until tomorrow. Y/n could now feel her muscles getting quite heavy, she needed some rest too.
She slumped onto the sofa and curled up in a little ball. After a few thoughtful and restless minutes, the girl could finally drift into sleep.
...