Echoes|| König x Reader x Ghost

68: Holding Breath

Two months passed, and the downtime was killer. Ghost, Graves, Price, Alejandro, König all of them were goal focused. The undertone of the group was worry and high-strung. The Sergeants though stressed out were able to find little joy in Charlie's hobby. Somehow, he dragged them down to his TikTok livestream. I walked into the common rooms and there cooking was all four Sergeants. For some reason, Roach sat on their counter skinning potatoes, Gaz cutting Carrots, and Soap and Charlie looking over a recipe.

"What are you making?" I ask them, Charlie looks up smiling.

"Shepard's pie, want some?" I shook my head no, I wasn't hungry. My stomach felt full but empty, teetering between hungry and content. "Sure? You haven't eaten."

"What would you know?" I ask him, he shrugs and turns his full attention to me: those honey sun-kissed eyes, glint with this strange gaze.

"I'm watching," he said slowly. "I know you haven't left your room except for training." I purse my lips and sigh.

"Alright, I'll eat some," Charlie smiles and I sit down at the counter they are not using. I stare into the phone my face blank on the little screen. I pull out my phone, my curiosity itching in my brain.

What are they saying?

what's their opinion of me?

Am I a monster?

I froze and stared at his live. the comments were of course about me, it went by too quickly to read. Charlie walks back to me and pushes my phone down. Eyes like strata of mountains, earthy and honey-rich. They look like fresh mud, very beautiful.

"Don't read the comments," He whispers with a smile. He took my phone and set it next to his phone.

Breathe in, Breathe out.

Breathe in, Breathe out.

Breathe in, Breathe out.

I feel light and float off, my body growing out. I fold in this room taking up every free space. Their mouth moved, but I could not read what they were saying. Their voice turns to the sound of the water in the ocean.

Woom, Woom, Wooom.

I close my eyes and enjoy the silence of nothing.

mmh....

mhhh.

Y....

Y/.... n

"OI!" I blink and look over to see Soap looking at me, "You alright lass?" He asks worriedly.

"Of course, just... enlightenment," I said calmly and took the plate from him. I silently took a bite, it was good, but I wasn't hungry. It tastes wonderful, but it... at last I felt empty, and food could not fill it.

"Are you nervous?" Charlie stands across me speaking low tone. He stuffs food in his mouth. His warm cologne wafts off him.

"... I sense tragedy," I whisper back setting my plate down. Charlie nods and looks back at the others.

"So do I." Silence fell on us. He stared into my eyes, sorrows. Years' worth of pain and... longing. I twist my lips into a firm line and gaze down at the ground.

"I feel like I'm going to die—"

"Don't say that." Charlie cut through my doubt. "Don't say that." I couldn't look at him, I knew I was going to cry if I did. There was nothing but doubt in me, and I didn't want to... I didn't want to face a face I felt like was slipping out of my fingers.

"We have a great team," he lifts my face. What pretty eyes, what a gorgeous man, "We got this besides the US government with the help of the Mexican government will aid us." He said confidently.

"You trust the Mexican Military?" I arch a brow.

"No, but I trust Alejandro." Charlie said confidently, I nodded along.

"Yeah, have a little more faith in us, G," I look over to see Gaz leaning in.

"I know we ain't gonna die so quickly," Soap smiles and I chuckle at his goofiness.

"I'm scared," I said loud enough for everyone to speak.

"Me too," Roach's phone spoke up. I look over and he gives me a thin pressed smile his dimples flashing.

"God..." Gaz grumbles setting his plate down his appetite is gone. "You're not the only one."

We grew silent, Soap and Charlie continued to eat. Charlie could eat through anything; I think it's how he deals with stress. Soap just looked hungry. I look down at my lap I feel a little guilty for making this space... anxious.

"Did you know Charlie is famous?" Soap broke the tension. I nod.

"I'm not famous—"

"Then what are you mate?" Gaz asks with a slight smile.

"A micro-influencer."

"Charlie," I look up, "Dior and Gucci want you to model for them." Gaz's mouth drops and he looks between us.

"Dude you can be rich!" Soap said through full mouths.

"Well... I'm well off, stable." Charlie shrugs. "I haven't had time to spend money." The rest nod and slowly go back to eating.

"What about you G?" Soap asks.

"Are you an influencer?" I shook my head no.

"I don't make TikTok's or stream, but I am famous... well infamous." Charlie chuckles and goes for another slice.

"My fans like you," Charlie muses.

"They better," I creak a slight smile.

"What's going on here?" I look over to see König walking in, his tall frame hunching over as he walks through the door.

"Want food colonel?" Charlie gestures to the food. He shook his head no.

"What's going on here?" He asks his German-accented English comes out thick.

"Oh, G just going through a crisis."

"Oh?"

"I feel like I'm going to either die or lose someone close to me, or both." The colonel sighs and walks next to me, surely the chat is going crazy over his height.

"No one is going to die." He said calmly.

"Why are you built like a bear?" I ask him, he blinks at me his blue ocean eyes looking confused. "Why didn't you become like an athlete? Hell, you would be a great volleyball player..." I study him.

"G what would you think all of us would be if we weren't in the military?" Charlie asks.

"You be dead."

"Fuck you." I creak a smile and he chuckles. "I see you in a cage fighting."

"GOGO GAGA—" I fell forward cackling and Charlie clumsily caught me as we tumbled to the ground.

"Are you calling her a monkey?" Gaz asks a little offended.

"No, she used to be a cage fighter!" Charlie quickly said before Gaz beat his ass.

"Illegally," I add in.

"What is your life?" Soap asks in a suspicious tone. "First a therapy wilderness camp where you were abused and then captured by the cartels! and now cage fighting?" I purse my lips and sigh.

"Back in high school how I dealt with my rage I did illegal cage fighting," Soap nods and Roach leans in. "I well was a... I don't remember but I had a rival who never beat me and now an actual MMA fighter." I snicker.

"... So... if you've never been to the military, you could be an MMA fighter?" Gaz slowly asks, a slow smile growing on his face.

"Or in jail."