"So, Colonel... I think we are finished here. Our employer should be happy and we even managed to get the job done without stepping on anybody's toes.
Well, except Wilson's toes and that of his gang, but they are all dead and nobody will ever shed a tear about them".
Sascha rolled the eyes at being addressed by his former rank, but he knew his friend Daniel... or Cobalt as he called himself on the streets... was just teasing him. And one of the preferred methods of the slender red tabby cat was using his old rank.
A rank that Ghost held as one of the higher ranking officers in the BlackOps division of the infamous BioResearch Corporation before he defected. The Corporation he was determined to bring down with him.
Usually the bear-lynx hybrid would annoyedly brush it off and ignore it, this day however he was in a fairly good mood so he played along.
"Well, Lieutenant, in no small parts thanks to you and your aim. At least this time you followed orders."
The confused look on Dan's face was absolutely worth it, as he tried to process the fact that Sascha had actually made a joke. One based upon reality however, as Daniel was a member of Sascha's BlackOps group and helped him escape from the company. If the feline hadn't violated orders and saved Sascha's life, none of them would be standing here.
Ever since then, the two became fast friends and had saved each other’s life multiple times.
"Come on, Cobalt, let's pack up and leave, okay? it has been a long day"

An hour later and back at their truck parked near the city center, they stuffed their heavy gear into the secured trunk of the vehicle they were provided with for the mission.
They did keep their side arms, albeit out of sight, the hidden layer of protective clothing and Sascha also kept his sword and wrist computer. But with their heavier gear gone, they looked completely normal for a city like this.
"When do we have to be the airport again?" Ghostbear asked while stretching his back with an audible pop.
"Tomorrow 11pm, we actually managed to finish the operation a day early."
"Great. Please tell me that we do have the hotel room until then."
"Yes we do, don't worry. So we have plenty time to... waitaminute..."
A mischievous grin started to spread all over Daniel's face. In fact, not only his face. It spread along his ears and down until his whole body seemed to sparkle with the same mischievous spark.
"Dan... no!" Reverting back to using the feline's first name instead of his callsign, Sascha took a step back.
"... if we really got the whole night and morning and can even relax most of the day..."
"Dan... no!"
"...we could just take the night off, go into the city, have a bite, have a couple of drinks..."
"I said no"
Just completely ignoring his team leader's / best friend's objections, Dan just carried on, literally smiling from big ear to big ear.
"I mean, how long since you last went on a date..."
"You know that I never..."
"...with somebody you like and you want to pay a whole night of drinks because he saved your precious butt more times that you can count..."
"No!"
"...and because you actually lived here a while before you moved into the Frankfurt sprawl and found me again, met Cay and Ryan..."
"I said no."
"...so..."
Daniel's grin was so wide and innocent that Sascha wanted to slap his best friend.
"Take me out tonight and show me your city
What's your favorite place to be?
Take me out tonight and show me your place
And drag me out of silence"
The song that Dan suddenly started singing was by a 21th century electronic band from former Slovenia. One that Ghost really liked. Getting one of his favorite songs used against him, was just annoying.
"Dan... NO!"
That came out harsher than Sascha had intended and the smile on the feline's face started to fail for a moment.
Instantly the bear hybrid felt a pang of regret. He knew Dan was not only his best friend and one of the few people that Sascha actually trusted implicitly, he also knew that he had feelings for him. And as much as he hated to admit it to himself, those were absolutely mutual. Not that he would ever admit it to Dan.
"Oh Daniel... I'm sorry."
"Sure."
Slowly the smile came back, but it was a little more low-key that before.
"Fine. Okay. I give up. Nobody knows we are here, we are quite safe, we have time... alright. You got your date...."
The smile was still not as bright as before. "I do?"
"Yes, you do... AS FRIENDS... A meal, a few drinks, nothing more, okay?"
"Of Course, Colonel, of course...nothing moooooore...."
Before Sascha could react, even with the heightened reflexes of his implants, Daniel had already snatched his arm and was literally dragging him along and towards the city center.
The smile was back on Dan's face in all of its mischievous glory as he still had the ursine firmly locked in his grip ... and slowly, very slowly Sascha started to realized that he absolutely fell for the red tabby's trap.
And for once, for only this night... he didn't really care, as he stumbled behind his best friend, even if his own smile was more much lopsided and the usually stone-cold freelancer was blushing furiously.

The story continues here: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/57598816/

---

A wonderful cyberpunk-ish commission and a little more light-hearted than my usualy commissions that I get for the grown up Ghostbear and his little band of Freelancers.
Drawn by the awesome  domidonga and I really love it.
The details and lighting is great and I love the character interaction.
And I hope Daniel can really savor this evening, because I am not sure his little trick will work again on Ghostbear o.o