~MOUSE~
The yellow overhead lights cast stark shadows across the dusty ground.
The air hung heavy with the scent of oil and gunpowder, a tangible reminder of the military presence that surrounded them.
Ophelia's hair fell over her head like a halo, and Askel's eyes seemed to gleam with a primal intensity as he watched her.
The first move was Askel's, a lightning-fast jab that Ophelia deftly dodged.
The ring echoed with the dull thud of feet on the flimsy mat below them.
"You're not gonna make taking you out easy," Askel remarked, his voice cutting through the sounds of their ragged breathing.
Ophelia, undeterred, countered with a swift kick that sent Askel staggering backward.
"Course not." She said with a smirk as she rightened her stance.
The banter between them continued as they circled each other within the confines of the ring.
Ophelia could feel the eyes of the tall Colonel from across the room.
König, standing tall, his arms folded across his strong chest, watched with a stoic expression, his hard stare an unspoken challenge.
She didn't get him.
He was angry at everything she did.
And right now, he seemed incredibly angry every time she opened her mouth.
Askel lunged forward, aiming a powerful hook at Ophelia, but she sidestepped, feeling the air brush her face.
The dust stirred beneath their feet, creating a haze in the ring.
"Is that the best you can do, Poule?" Ophelia taunted, her brown eyes sparkling with defiance.
Askel's response was a low, menacing growl as he launched a relentless assault.
He was clearly not used to not getting what he wanted.
And no one ever caught a mouse.
"You sure have a mouth on you," Askel grunted, a bead of sweat trickling down his brow.
Ophelia's eyebrows shot up as she saw the suggestive smirk on his face.
With a sudden burst of strength, Askel attempted a powerful sweep, aiming to catch Ophelia off guard.
She anticipated the move, gracefully leaping over his outstretched leg and landing with cat-like precision.
"Maybe I do," she said as she crossed her arms over her chest in mock irritation.
König's hard stare remained fixed on Ophelia, his expression unreadable.
The weight of his scrutiny added an extra layer of pressure, a silent reminder that this wasn't just a friendly sparring session.
It was a test, a proving ground for the skills they might need in the field.
But König's irritated stare made it feel more personal than that.
Ophelia seized an opening, delivering a swift combination of strikes to his throat leaving Askel momentarily stunned.
Askel, though formidable, struggled to match her speed.
With a final, decisive move, Ophelia executed a perfectly timed sweep, sending Askel sprawling to the ground.
The ring fell silent for a moment as he hit the floor, the dust settling around them.
Ophelia stood victorious, her chest heaving with exertion, her eyes looking down at the man on the floor.
As Askel rose from the dusty ground, a sly grin crept across his face.
"Impressive moves, love. You should teach me some time," he crooned, his tone hinting at what she thought it did.
He really wanted to get in her pants.
The man was clearly pent up and she was fresh meat.
Ophelia, still riding the wave of her victory, couldn't help but notice the twinkle in Askel's eyes.
"You're not going to let me bask in my moment of glory, are you?" Ophelia teased, her voice laced with a hint of flirtation.
A probe back that said, maybe if you're lucky I'll let you.
She saw König go rigid from the corner of her eye. His blue eyes flicked from them and around the room.
Askel chuckled, his movements fluid as they circled each other once more.
"Where's the fun in that? I thought you enjoyed a challenge."
Their banter, once sharp and competitive, took on a new rhythm.
As they exchanged blows, a playful energy infused their movements.
Ophelia's eyes met Askel's with a mixture of challenge and amusement, the tension between them.
"Careful," Ophelia said, a smirk playing on her lips.
She wasn't attracted to him.
She felt nothing when she looked at him.
But playing was fun and blowing off steam with no strings attached was even better.
Askel responded with a grin, his hands a blur of motion as they continued their dance of combat.
"Careful has never been enjoyable. But I sense you already know that," He said with heavy innuendo as he eyed her up and down.
Her smile curled a little more.
He was right.
Their sparring session became a whirlwind of laughter and exchanged barbs, the intensity of their combat punctuated by moments of playful banter.
Ophelia's heart raced as sweat dripped down her spine.
König had somehow gotten stiffer across the room, his eyes growing increasingly stern.
His dark gaze bore into them, an unreadable storm brewing beneath the surface.
Ophelia caught up in the ebb and flow of the sparring session, couldn't help but steal glances at him, trying to decipher the storm that raged within him.
Askel, too, seemed to sense the change.
The playful smirk on his face faded into a more serious expression.
The sparring session, once a dance of flirtation and combat, now teetered on the edge of something more profound.
Each move became deliberate, a careful calculation of strength and strategy.
They both wanted to win.
König's hard stare bore down on them, his silence more ominous than any spoken command.
Ophelia, feeling the weight of his disapproval, focused her attention on the sparring, attempting to push aside the distracting undercurrents.
Askel, however, shot a wary glance at König, his brow furrowed with a look that Ophelia didn't understand.
Suddenly, Askel moved with unexpected speed, grabbing Ophelia's arm and pulling her back into the circle of his chest.
Smashing her ass into him roughly.
His voice, a low and flirtatious whisper, reached her ear.
"Now, this is nice," he said with a laugh, she couldn't help but smile at his audacity, her eyes sparkling with a mixture of amusement and challenge.
As she glanced toward König, her laughter caught in her throat.
His rigid form and unreadable expression sent a shiver down her spine.
The atmosphere in the makeshift ring turned taut with unspoken tension.
Without missing a beat, Ophelia decided to seize control of the situation.
Gripping Askel's arm with a sudden strength, she executed a swift, practised move, flipping him over her shoulder and onto the ground.
Askel landed with a thud and a groan of pain, the dust rising around him as he looked up at Ophelia with a mixture of pain and amusement.
"Well played, love," he said through the breathlessness the ground hand knocked out of him.
Her eyes, however, remained fixed on König.
The Colonel stared back at her. His unreadable expression had shifted only slightly, but the tension in the air was so thick she could almost touch it.
Ophelia shot one last glance at Askel, her brown eyes ablaze with a mix of amusement and warning.
"Don't call me Little Mouse again," she declared, her words cutting through the tension like a blade.
Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and walked purposefully toward the row of punching bags.
König, his dark eyes following her every move, stood next to a punching bag, his imposing figure casting a long shadow in the dimly lit area.
Ophelia approached with a confident stride, her expression a mask of calm despite the lingering intensity from the sparring session.
If he was staring at her, he clearly wanted something.
And Ophelia had the feeling it was probably going to be a punishment.
~~~~~~~~~~
TRANSLATIONS
French
Poule- hen