Authors Note: This is the first fanfic I have ever written for anything. The story was just sitting in my LibreOffice files for six months before I finally decided to sign up for this site since I liked it enough. I do not own Rainbow Six Siege nor claim to own it. Rest In Peace Tom Clancy. Constructive criticism welcome, I have several other stories and I'd like to know if my writing needs improvement.

Accepting the Unacceptable

Glaz was a man of precision. A man of talent and critical thinking. When a situation required tactical care and unprecedented awareness, he was the man you could rely on. So why was he, a man with exceptional talent and respected military background, being caught in the middle of something that he could only describe as high school drama. Glaz was sitting at the table in the mess hall at Hereford base with the rest of the Rainbow operatives trying to enjoy his meal but his Uzbek friend and a certain loud obnoxious American Navy Seal operative were getting into it about who would win a strength contest. Or at least that's what they called it. It was more of who could beat who in a fight.

"You would not last single hour, let alone DAY, in Russian Spetsnaz training, so why would you think you could best me in a contest of strength?" Shuhrat boasted to Meghan. The Navy Seal who was known as Valkyrie could only smirk in response as she knew well that she was beginning to get on the Uzbeks nerves. "And I'd like to see you go through Navy Seal training with THAT attitude mister, they'll chew you up and spit you back out!". Glaz rolled his eyes at this, Americans knew nothing about what special training the Spetsnaz had to go through in order to be accepted among their ranks. Much of it, albeit, was fabricated and were largely rumours but the Russian government liked it that way. The more fearful the world and more importantly the nations enemies are of its soldiers, the better.

Shuhrat put his elbow on the table and pointed at Meghan who was still smiling, "You and me in weight room in half hour and well settle this once and for all" he said but Meghan could only scoff at his request of a match between them. "Yeah right, like I would ever let some cocky Russian put his hands all over me!". Glaz could only sigh. Both of them were being childish. Shuhrat for letting Meghan get on his nerves and Meghan for actually getting on Shuhrat's nerves. "What!" Shuhrat was surprised at her cheeky dodge. "Your just using that as excuse to get out of this, and I'm not Russian I'm-" Meg interrupted him "yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever your still Spetsnaz"

Glaz was seriously thinking about interjecting and dragging them both to the mats when Monika happened to walk by. "Hello Shuhrat, Meghan, Tim!" she greeted them standing at the front of the table. "Zdravstvyute" Glaz said back "Salom" Shuhrat followed along with Meghan "Hey, matryoshka doll over here thinks he can beat me in a feat of strength" Monika giggled at the remark made to the Uzbek who clearly did not find it as funny. "That is not how this started and don't call me that!" he said. "I was merely implying you are stronger than your height permits you to be" he turned to Monika "a mere harmless compliment!" he tried to defend himself but Meg was not letting him off that easy. "So because I'm short I should be weak as well is that it? Or is it because of the fact that I'm a girl I should be all dainty and ladylike?" Shuhrat put his hands up in defence "What? No! I was not saying that I was merely-" he gave up "Agh! you Americans, always so bold and looking to prove something". Meg folded arms and narrowed her eyes at him. Monika shifted awkwardly between them. "Vell you are both very strong physically, but I do not see any harm in having a contest" Glaz snorted at this making everyone turn to look at him. Great, just what he needed. "Got something to say sharp-shooter?" The Seal taunted him. But Glaz wasn't going to let her get under his skin so easily as she had done with Shuhrat. "Yes, Tim vhat do you think?" Glaz looked at Monika then at Shuhrat and Meghan. "I think that it is a good idea since it will solve this childish bickering" he said. Shuhrat returned to Meghan "Then it is settled, half an hour, be there" he said picking up his fork finally about to eat his lunch. "Hmph!, fine then" Meghan said, finally settling down.

Glaz finally breathed out a sigh of releif. Finally, peace at last. Monika spoke up after the verbal dispute was settled "How exciting! I shall tell the others of this 'Contest of Strength'! I vill see you all later!" and she briskly walked off. "Proshchay" Glaz said as he watched her walk off. He noted her use of his actual first name while everyone else just called him "Glaz". "Watchya lookin' at there Tiiim?" Once again Meghan was never satisfied unless someone was pissed off at her. "Nothing" he said and quickly turned back to his food. Apparently he was not the only one to notice. "Ohhhhh", Meghan started "Looks like our resident sniper might have a crush on a certain German techie" she teased. "It's nothing" was all Glaz could say trying not to leap over the table and strangle the American for her boldness. "Leave him alone Meg" Shuhrat tried to help his friend but it was to no avail. "You know Glaz I don't think I've ever seen a ring on that finger of hers, you should make a move before that blonde haired blue eyed shield bearer does" Glaz now had enough and got up trying not to look visibly angered. "I'm going to try and get some rest, try not to make so much noise during your 'contest' he said and walked away.

"He's totally crushing on her" she said when she was sure Glaz was gone. Shuhrat shook his head. "Do not try your antics with Glaz Meghan, everyone has a fuze and thankfully his is not short". Meghan stared quizzically at the Uzbek. "Was that a pun?" she asked. They both looked at each other for a moment then laughed. Meanwhile Glaz was laying in his bunk trying to get some rest but to no avail. So what Monika had used his first name, that didn't mean she...liked him in any sort of way. It was a mere show of respect. The others could do the same thing and he would take it the exact same way. But it wasn't just Meghan comments that irritated him, it was the fact that he couldn't let it go. Ever since this special team was conceived before other countries started putting in their operatives to help the team expand Monika had been quite...forward with him. It used to be just the Russians, Germans, Americans, French and the British that made up the entirety of Rainbow. He recalled the first time he had met Monika at Hereford when the team was just being put together. The Russians were being shown their quarters which were directly across the hall from the Germans on a floor. Monika had spotted him unpacking his things while walking by.

"Gutentagh freund!" Glaz suddenly stopped unpacking his things and turned to the doorway where standing there was a blonde girl in GSG-9 fatigues staring at him smiling. He nervously looked around for a moment then answered "Eh... Zdravstvyute!" he said back in his native Russian, he was still getting used to speaking English around other people but he guessed he wasn't the only one. "My name is Monika nice to meet you!" she greeted him holding out her hand which he shook "Timur but everybody calls me Tim or...Glaz". Monkia leaned to one side of the doorway admiring his paintings he brought with him on the walls. "Wow! These are beautiful, did you paint them?" Glaz looked at the one she was currently admiring. It was a view from his familys apartment back in Vladivostok overlooking the water on the west side of the city with Peschanyy island in the background. "Dah, my very first actually". Monika walked closer to it inspecting it "Vhere is it? If...it is a real place...that is" she smiled shyly at the sniper. "My hometown, Vladivostok, it is a view from the living room window of my family's apartment there" he pointed at the dark green mass in the horizon "That's Peschanyy island, sometimes we would vacation there when we had the time". She continued to look at the picture before turning to the other ones. "Do you sell them?" she asked "Well...no" he responded "It is hard for an artist to part with their creations, I put a lot of effort and emotion into my paintings so it is...like selling a part of myself which might sound strange I admit." Monika turned back to him "Oh no not at all! I understand, vhen I built my RED MK III I knew the military and government vould vant it's blueprints immediately so it could be built and given to other operators to use but...I vas hesitant to tell anyone I was vorking on it. I guess you could say I put a little of myself in it" she laughed which made Glaz smile. "But I knew it vas for the best, after all it was meant to protect people and keep them safe from danger". Glaz nodded in understanding before Monika headed for the door. "You know, your paintings could be like that too they could provide joy and emotion for other people to experience but...they are yours to do with as you please!" Before she left she turned to him one last time "auf weidersehen Tim!"

"proschay!" he said before she disappeared down the hallway. "...Monika" he said to himself before returning to unpack his things.

He lay in his bed mulling this over. "She was just being nice! She was just being nice! She was just being nice!" he kept saying to himself in his head over and over. A relationship if that was even at all possible between them was very dangerous in a team like this. It could jeopardize things very quickly if they were to get involved with each other. Besides, she was forty seven! And he just turned thirty himself a little over a month ago. "But..." He thought to himself "She certainly doesn't look forty seven" and that was his final thought before he finally drifted off to sleep.