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Chapter Text

Sniper heard the sound of rapid footsteps drumming against wooden floorboards. It was a sound he heard at around the same time every morning, and he’d come to know well what it was. Scout was awake and going for his morning sprint around the base’s perimeter. He liked to boast about how early he got up compared to everyone else, but everyone knew Sniper was always up first to drink in the light of the sunrises. He liked staring out over the desert landscape, even if there wasn’t much in it. It reminded him in some ways of his home. There were only so many ways in which deserts could vary from place to place, after all.
He saw the skinny man rush out of a doorway and wave up at him.

“Mornin’, Snipes!”

He waved back silently, smiling to himself as Scout ran past him. He also heard Soldier noisily attempting to wake the rest of the base.

“ATTENTION, LADIES! IT’S TIME TO RISE AND SHINE!” he barked, his voice muffled through the wooden walls, but still audible.

He eventually wandered back inside as the mercs gathered for their morning meal. He watched Scout fighting the others for his favourite breakfast items, whilst Pyro gathered a plateful and quickly scuttled away toward someplace to eat in private. The smell of coffee drew him immediately to where Spy and Engie were gathered around the pot, and he poured himself a mug. Medic still seemed half asleep, probably having spent his night working on some crazed project or other. His glasses went wonky as his head slumped against Heavy’s shoulder, whilst he was busy preparing his daily sandwiches. Sniper took a seat next to Scout, placing his mug next to a can of that vile fizzy stuff he always drank. Scout glanced over at Sniper’s lack of a plate or any food.

“You still ain’t gonna eat anything? Man, I don’t get how you can last the morning on just a mug of that stuff.”

“Well,” Sniper replied, “unlike some people, I don’t spend all day running around like a headless chicken,” he teased.

“I don’t spend all day doing that. But anyways, you don’t know what you’re missing out on.”

“Guess that means I can’t be disappointed by missing it, then.”

Scout rolled his eyes.

The sun gently rolled ever higher into the cloudless sky, forcing some of the mercs to retreat indoors. Medic stayed within the cooling darkness of his laboratory, as always. Spy was likely in his smoking room. Heavy was probably lounging around either looking after his arsenal or finding a book to read. Or being the test subject of whatever Medic was doing. Those of them more tolerant to the heat were spending some time outside – save for Engineer, who had probably disappeared off to do some tinkering. A winding river curled its way around one side of the base, and was the perfect spot to cool off under the midday sun. Whether the water was actually safe to bathe in or not was mostly inconsequential to them all.

Sniper looked out from one of the base’s windows. He saw Soldier and Demoman walking past, then Pyro eagerly skipping along behind them. He wasn’t sure how Pyro wasn’t overheating in that suit of theirs. Finally, he saw Scout sprinting to catch up with them, carrying a cooler box in one hand. Suddenly, he skidded to a halt outside the window Sniper was watching him from and waved his hand.

“Yo! Sniper! Wanna come down to the river with us? We’re gonna go and cool off a bit, y’know? Plus, I got some drinks for us,” he held the box up for Sniper to see.

He shrugged, “eh, sure. Why not, mate?”

He figured it’d beat sitting around inside with nothing to do. Plus, it wasn’t like he couldn’t take the heat. Also, someone would have to put out Pyro’s fires and make sure nobody went setting off too many explosives. Stepping out of the base, it didn’t take him long to find where the group of them had set up. Between them they had a couple of deckchairs, a blanket laid out over the dusty ground, and a singular sun umbrella that had a noticeable hole in it. Well, it was better than nothing. Pyro was already paddling around in the water, and seemed to have brought a selection of rubber ducks with them. Sniper regarded this sight with puzzlement – he never really would know what was going on inside the arsonist’s little head. Demo had relinquished most of his usual clothing for a simple white t-shirt and a pair of khaki shorts. Soldier was… Soldier was in his underwear, a pair of camo-patterned boxers. Of course. A pile of discarded shoes and socks was laid next to the cooler, which Demo opened to take a bottle from.

Sniper’s heartbeat fluttered just a little as he saw Scout take off his red shirt and throw it down next to the pile of shoes. His eyes instinctively traced the lines of Scout’s back – running along the slopes of his shoulders, around the curves of his shoulder blades, down the line that marked out his spine, as if he were trying to count every vertebra. He blinked and forced his gaze to fall upon the gurgling water next to them. Sitting down, he took off his boots and socks and tossed them aside, hoping they’d land on the pile with everything else.

“Hey, Snipes, catch!” Scout called to him, throwing him a bottle from the cooler.

He caught it, though the condensation on the glass nearly made it slip out of his hand. The sun glinted off of everything in sight – the brown glass of the bottle, the water of the river, the lenses of Pyro’s mask, Soldier’s helmet, the dog tags slung around Scout’s neck that dangled over his chest.

Scout carefully dipped a foot into the water, then waded a little further in. Soldier had climbed up onto a rock and seemed to be preparing to jump in.

“Watch out, sonny! CANNONBALL!” he shouted, before promptly crashing into the water.

Scout stumbled back a bit as Pyro laughed joyfully. Demo didn’t seem to have any intention of getting into the water, instead just lounging on one of the deckchairs with a beer in his hand. Sniper rolled up the legs of his trousers and placed his bottle down on the blanket before joining the others in the river. The cooling water lapped around his ankles as he stood back and watched the three of them tussle with each other, Soldier filling his helmet with water and flinging it at his opponents or trying to take hold of Scout’s dog tags, Scout wrestling with him in retaliation. Sometimes Pyro would dip beneath the water, only for a pair of gloved hands to then grab somebody’s legs and attempt to drag them down. He watched with amusement until suddenly Soldier came barrelling towards him and knocked him over into the water.

“Don’t just stand there, maggot!” he heard him yell, “this is WAR! You’ve got to fight!”

The water was deeper than he had expected, and his vision blurred as his head was submerged. He spluttered as he resurfaced, and felt a hand take his. Scout helped pull him to his feet, and he looked around for where his hat had disappeared to, spotting it drifting away from them downriver.

“Aw, piss! My hat!”

He waded after it, stumbling through the water and nearly falling over again a couple of times, before managing to collect it and put it back on his head, though it was dripping wet - as was the rest of him, now. He then turned around, and even behind the sunglasses they could all see a glare that told them he meant business. He flashed a wicked grin and charged at Soldier, attempting to catch him in a headlock. Admittedly, hand-to-hand combat wasn’t really his thing, but he wasn’t the type to admit defeat so easily either. The two of them tried to drag each other into the water, Soldier grabbing at his mullet, him trying to get some leverage on Soldier’s much sturdier body.
Then he felt Soldier’s hands grab his head.

“HUTTAH!”

Then he woke up in respawn.

Scout’s face suddenly fell as he heard a recognisable crunching sound.

“Ooh…” Soldier winced as he realised what he’d done, Sniper’s body now laying face-down in the water, “I might’ve, uh, got a little carried away, there.”

Demo stood up and wandered over to them, peering over Pyro’s shoulder.

“Laddie, I think you done messed up.”

Scout suddenly burst into laughter. “Sniper is gonna kill you when he respawns!” he exclaimed, slapping Soldier on the back, “oh, you are sooooo fucked. Big time.”

“Nonsense, I’m sure he’ll understand that it was a simple accident! Besides, it’s not like it’s the first time he’s died.”

Scout climbed out of the water and slumped onto one of the deckchairs, grabbing another bottle for himself and passing one to Demo. The two of them clinked their bottles together as they sat down. The umbrella provided them with some shade. Soldier also got out of the water and sat down on the blanket, looking a bit concerned at having accidentally killed his colleague. Pyro still splashed around happily in the river, seemingly not caring at all that the water had contained Sniper’s dead body just a few seconds ago. For a few minutes all was calm, until Pyro started pointing above them and mumbling something. As soon as the three of them tried to spot what they were pointing at, a bullet whizzed past Soldier’s helmet and thudded into the ground. He leapt to his feet and scrambled for cover, though there wasn’t much of it to be found. Sniper’s silhouette was visible through one of the base’s windows. He leaned out and shouted down at Soldier.

“I’m back, ya piker!” he laughed sharply.

A voice called to them just as Sniper was lining up his next shot.

“Hey! Fellas, fellas! If you could all stop tryna kill each other I’d be awful appreciative,” Engineer said, stepping out from a doorway, “that respawn machine uses a lotta energy, y’know. Save it for the BLUs!”

Sniper grumbled and put his rifle away, retreating from the window. Engineer was probably right.

The day drew on into the afternoon, the sun only getting more intense as it did so.

“Hey, uh, we should probably head back inside,” Sniper eventually suggested, “Scout, you don’t look too great.”

“Whaddya mean?” Scout questioned.

“You’ve gone pink all over,” Sniper gestured toward him.

He looked down and realised that the sun had not been kind to his skin.

“Aw man, I was really hopin’ I’d get a tan this time,” he complained, but followed Sniper indoors.

“Hey, at least Medic’s gonna be able to sort you out, I’m sure. It’s only sunburn, you’ve had worse.”

Medic dutifully supplied the two of them with a bottle of aftersun. Scout sat down on the operating table and squirted some into his hand, rubbing it carefully onto his skin.

“Hey, Snipes, could you help me get my back?”

“Er- um, alright…” He held his hand out and Scout squirted some into it. Hesitantly, he touched Scout’s back and began applying it to his bare skin. Scout’s skin was much softer than his own, though he could feel heat radiating from the angry patches of sunburn. He felt blessed to have not only been able to look upon the man’s body but also touch it, but he knew not to get carried away. He knew not to feel too much desire for something he couldn’t have.

“Feel better?” Medic asked.

“Yeah, thanks Doc.” Scout stood up and sauntered out of the medical room.

Sniper rinsed his hands under a tap and sighed to himself.

“Everything alright?”

“Yeah…” Sniper nodded, “I’m fine.”

Medic raised an eyebrow, suspecting that Sniper was not actually fine. He didn’t question it though, instead just letting Sniper dry his hands and walk away.

Chapter Text

Naturally, the mercs only ever had so many days off before they were prompted to return to battle, having heard that the BLU team were once again trying to encroach upon their territory. It was another scorching day when Sniper took up a position overlooking the BLU base, hoping that the heat wouldn’t slow them down too much.

The BLUs charged them with full force, their soldier and heavy taking the lead whilst their pyro, medic and demoman followed not far behind. Sniper set his sights on their spy, who was trying to evade most of the action, but couldn’t evade his bullet. Their scout was quickly mowed down by the Heavy. He didn’t see their sniper or engineer, but knew they’d have to be somewhere nearby. Looking around, he saw the movement of something yellow behind a stack of crates. Another gunshot from him ripped through the plastic of the engineer’s hardhat. The battlefield was already beginning to run red with blood and viscera. He spied Scout attempting to dodge a grenade, only to suddenly fall limp. His right leg had been reduced to a bleeding mess, and his cries of pain made Sniper flinch. As the Medic was trying to reach him, a bullet was swiftly planted through his skull. So that was where the BLU Sniper was shooting from. Wanker. He raised his scope and spied his counterpart, fortunately before he was spotted in turn. With a single shot, the enemy sniper was down. But he put another one through him, for luck.

The sound of muffled speech briefly drew his attention away from the battlefield, where he saw the burnt suit of what had been a BLU spy beneath Pyro’s feet.

“Thanks, Pyro,” he smiled.

Pyro giggled and said something in return before galloping merrily back down the stairs. Crazy guy. Useful to have around, though. He heard the shouts and swears of battle drawing closer to him — the BLUs were clearly advancing further forward. Slinging his rifle over his shoulder he abandoned his post to find a more advantageous position to fire from. He passed Engineer along the way, and took the opportunity to replenish his ammo from a dispenser. Jogging his way along a narrow corridor of the base, he ended up having the fortune of running into Scout.

“S-Scout! Ah, uh, you alright?”

“Doin’ just fine! Now lemme past!” Scout pushed him to one side as he ran past, his scattergun in his hands.

“R-Right. Yeah. Good luck!” he called, though he expected he was already out of earshot.

Instinctively, he reached to touch the place on his chest where Scout’s hand had shoved him. He realised this and lowered it. What a wreck — he needed to be supporting his team, not thinking about his feelings. Gritting his teeth, he climbed the stairs up onto the roof of a building and took his aim again. A heavy, gone. A medic, gone. He saw Scout rush out onto the battlefield again, this time evading the BLU sniper, and watched Engineer’s sentries plough through the attackers. As the battle wore on he noticed both sides beginning to become fatigued, with both his teammates and his enemies attempting to retreat into the shade wherever possible. He noticed the sun was also beating down on his back as he laid there on the roof, the metal tiles warm against his stomach. Hopefully one side would win before they all got heatstroke.

A final push with a well-timed übercharge from Medic and a lot of grenades from Demo managed to stave off the BLU team just long enough for them to win the fight. But it had been a close one, and Sniper knew that the BLUs would soon be formulating their next plan of action. Still, they’d have at least a little time to relax again now whilst BLU licked their wounds and plotted their revenge.

He next found Scout sat alone inside the base, absentmindedly throwing a baseball against the wall.

“Y’alright, mate? Not celebrating your victory?”

“Nah, I was gonna do that with Soldier and Demo, but they’re busy cleaning up. And finding organs for Medic.”

“Well, we could do something together.”

Scout brightened up at this statement, “yeah, sure! Catch.”

He threw the baseball to Sniper, who caught it.

“Lemme go grab my bat. I’ll see if Pyro wants to join us too.”

The air had cooled down a bit through the afternoon and into the evening, and it was comfortable enough outside for the three of them to play a game of baseball together. It was a fairly simple game, with only three players, but that was all they needed. Pyro eagerly chased after the ball every time Scout batted it, reminding Sniper somewhat of a dog playing fetch. He was bowling to begin with, though they switched their roles now and again. Sniper quickly realised that neither he nor Pyro were as good at baseball as Scout, though it was still enjoyable to play with him. Usually he wouldn’t be particularly interested in sport, but if it made Scout happy that was the main thing that mattered to him. He saw Spy watching them from a doorway, a cigarette glowing softly in his mouth.

Eventually the group of them headed back inside as the evening drew further in. They enjoyed the evening, still happy to have won their latest fight and feeling a bit more comfortable in the cooler air. After finding something to eat — someone would have to go out for a supply run soon — Sniper went outside for a while to watch the sunset before he went to sleep. Whilst the others all had rooms within the base, Sniper always returned to his van for the night. He knew Spy had a certain distaste for the old vehicle, but it served him well and allowed him to get from place to place with ease. He didn’t see what Spy’s problem was, but he also didn’t spend half his salary on ludicrously expensive cigarettes, wine and clothing.

The night passed peacefully, and Sniper was once again the first to awake in the morning. Or so he had thought. Wandering into the base he suddenly came across Scout, who was awake far earlier than usual.

“Oi, Scout! You’re up early!”

“Oh, uh, yeah… I uh, I woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep.”

“Ah, I see. Well, I’m heading up to the roof if you wanna join me.”

“Oh, nah, sorry, I ah, y’know, other things to do.”

“Alright then, seeya later.”

He walked past Scout, continuing along the corridor. Then he heard a sudden rush of footsteps. But it wasn’t Scout sprinting away for his morning run, these footsteps were coming toward him. He turned his head just too late to see the BLU Spy pounce upon him, knife raised to strike.

Chapter Text

Blaring alarms woke up the rest of the base, including the real RED Scout. Immediately the RED team began assembling their weapons, trying to find the BLUs who had managed to infiltrate them. There was a Spy around, that was for certain, though it was unlikely he’d come alone.

Respawning was always a bit of a disorienting process, though Sniper had little time to collect his senses, the base’s alarms quickly reminding him of what he was meant to be doing. Without hesitation he gathered his weapons and hurried out.

“Hey, Snipes! You’re back!” Scout called.

“Yeah, I am. I take it you’re the real Scout this time, eh? Bloody piker disguised himself as you.”

“What? Oh, I am so gonna get that bitch. I’m the only Scout allowed in this base!”

Scout ran past him eagerly.

“Oi! Wait up! Surely we can split this revenge between us, eh?”

Scout slowed down for a moment, allowing Sniper to catch up with him.

“Ok, ok, you have a point. I guess so. Now c’mon! We can’t let him get away!”

“GO! GO! GO! LET’S SHOW THESE MAGGOTS WHO’S BOSS!” Soldier shouted from a distance, barking orders at the other mercs. Sniper had to admit, even though Soldier was lacking in intellect in some aspects of life, he sure knew how to organise a battle strategy. 

A motorbike pulled up at the edge of the base whilst the team were preparing to hunt down whoever had infiltrated them. Miss Pauling rushed into the building and soon took over from Soldier in giving orders.

“Yo! Miss Pauling! Boy am I glad to see you!” Scout shouted after her, leaving Sniper where he was so he could go and fight by her side.

Sniper had predicted that happening. He knew Scout liked her more than he’d ever like him. Sometimes he felt like he hated her for it, but he knew he shouldn’t. It wasn’t her fault. It was just the way things were.

He soon found himself a vantage point to set up his rifle at. That spy wouldn’t get far with his eyes keeping watch over the area. It wasn’t long before he heard the sounds of gunshots in the distance. Clearly the intruders had been found. He managed to put some bullets through the skulls of the retreating BLUs, but by the time the incident had been dealt with the spy had evaded him. At least their intelligence was safe.

As the group celebrated their victory, Scout immediately jogged over to Miss Pauling to talk to her. Sniper watched them have their conversation from a distance. Well, it wasn’t exactly a conversation and more like Scout talking endlessly whilst Miss Pauling occasionally gave a “mhm” or “yes” to show she was listening. Or to pretend she was. Scout’s excitable and talkative nature was, surprisingly, one of the things Sniper found so endearing about him. He was like a hyperactive child sometimes, but it was clearly just his way of showing affection for other people. And that was why he could listen to Scout talk about things he had no interest in for hours, because he knew it was a sign that they had some form of a bond, even if he was doomed to always be second best.

He felt a twinge of bitterness strike his heart. What would he do if the two of them actually ended up together? It didn’t seem like Miss Pauling had much interest in him, but things could change, and it wasn’t like they hated each other in the way that he and Spy did. Speaking of Spy, he also seemed to be watching the two of them talk and, strangely, wasn’t making any rude comments toward Scout. Well, there was a first time for everything. Perhaps it was because he respected Miss Pauling, the way they all did.

Sniper sat down on a tattered couch, placing his hat on the coffee table in front of him. Miss Pauling sat down beside him, absentmindedly picking at the stuffing, which was leaking from a tear in one of the cushions. Whilst the rest of the group were still celebrating, Scout followed her, still trying to talk to her.

“Yo! Miss Pauling! I was wondering, have you ever been down to the river that’s just outside the base?”

“Uh, no, I haven’t. Why do you ask?”

“Well, I was thinking we could go hang out there. You can come too, Snipes! I mean, I figured it’d be a nice place to like, y’know, cool off after the heat of battle?”

“Look, Scout, I’m sure it’s lovely out there, but I have work to do. I need to check in with Medic and take stock of the armoury and write up a report on the latest battle for the Administrator…”

“T-Tell ya what, Miss Pauling, I’ll do the armoury whilst you do your other stuff, and then we’ll all have more time to go down to the river a bit later?” Sniper asked. He realised that if she was going to look around the armoury she’d notice that his weapons were missing. He kept them in his van, which he knew he was not allowed to do, and really didn’t feel like it was worth taking an earful from Pauling - or worse, the Administrator - for it.

She sighed, “alright, I shouldn’t really be doing this, but I guess I can trust you to give me an accurate report.”

“Yeah, yeah, no, you can rely on me, Miss Pauling,” he smiled, endlessly relieved that he’d somehow managed to convince her.

Scout eventually left Miss Pauling alone  so that she could get on with her work. Sniper watched him leave.

“Scout, eh?” he smiled a little, “I’m sure you’ve realised he likes you.”

“Yes…” she sighed, “it’s pretty obvious. I think he thinks I haven’t realised.”

“Oh yeah, he has no idea how easy he is to read. Heh. It’s kinda sweet.”

She glanced at him, and he realised what he’d said. He clammed up, hoping she wouldn’t take much note of it.

“I mean, I guess, but I don’t really think of him like that. He’s a colleague and a friend. That’s all. Besides, the only commitment I want right now is my job - and that means treating all of you equally.”

“Yeah, I can understand that.”

Sniper felt relieved to know that Miss Pauling definitely didn’t reciprocate Scout’s feelings. She’d seemed fairly certain when she’d told him. However, it was still clear that Scout felt nothing toward him. So he was still, more or less, in the same spot he had been before. The same spot, he predicted, that he would always be in. What he hoped most of all was that he hadn’t let himself slip to her. She was a very observant woman, and he knew if anyone were to cotton onto it first it would be her. That was why he was glad that she only visited them now and again, even though he did like spending time with her. 

He stepped into the armoury, looking around at the rows of guns hung up on the walls. The places where his weapons were meant to be were noticeably empty, but he’d be damned if he left his rifle where one of his teammates would be able to touch it without him knowing. The job was fairly straightforward, really: count up their ammo supplies, make sure all the guns were where they were supposed to be, check that nothing was broken and/or going to explode. He was fairly well-versed in guns, having shot his first rifle when he was a child, and certainly knew more about gun safety than most of his team. That was probably why Miss Pauling had trusted him to do the job.

A while later, he wandered out to the river and saw Scout, who was basking in the afternoon sun. Miss Pauling mustn’t have finished her work yet, as he didn’t see her around. Engineer was lounging in a chair he’d built himself and reading a book, keeping an eye on the others as he did so.

Sniper decided to lay down, lowering the brim of his hat so that the sun wouldn’t be in his eyes. He watched Scout walk to the edge of the water, just so it covered his ankles. Pyro said something to Scout and tossed a rubber duck at him. Scout caught it and threw it back. He watched the two of them play for a while, until Scout suddenly dropped the duck. 

“Miss Pauling!” he said, smiling brightly.

“Hey, Scout. Hi Pyro.”

She sat down beside Sniper.

“Nice day, eh? Got all your jobs done?” he asked.

“Yeah, yeah. Thanks for helping me out.”

“No problem.”

Scout sat down beside Miss Pauling and smiled at her.

“Nice out here, isn’t it? You should join me in the water, it’s really nice and cool.”

“I’m sure it is, Scout, but I’d rather not get my clothes wet.”

“Yeah, but it’s really hot out here! I’m sure you’d dry off pretty quickly.”

Pyro waved over at them, holding the rubber duck in one hand.

“Ok, well it looks like I gotta play catch the duck with someone. But we could make it a three-player game if you wanted?”

“I’ll think about it,” she sighed.

“Yo, Snipes! Look after my shirt!”

Sniper saw something red fly toward him and land on his chest. He propped himself up on his elbows and held Scout’s shirt.

“Uh, sure, mate,” he replied, watching Scout rush back into the water.

He carefully held the shirt, running his fingers over the soft, red fabric. 

He tipped the brim of his hat up just a little, the sunlight hitting his face as he watched Scout splash around in the water. 

Scout probably wouldn’t notice if he happened to leave with the shirt. It wasn’t like he’d miss it, he had plenty of others. And he’d blame Soldier or someone else long before the thought that Sniper had taken it would ever occur to him. It would be so easy just to keep this one part of Scout to himself.

He banished the thought from his head, tossing the shirt to one side. He couldn’t. 

God, I really am obsessed , he thought to himself.

He sighed deeply and rose to his feet. Miss Pauling glanced at him.

“I’m going inside,” he told her, swiftly heading back into the cool shadows of the base.

He spent the rest of the afternoon inside, watching some mind-numbingly dull show on the base’s singular television. At least it was distracting him from Scout, allowing him to take a small break from the aching in his heart.

He didn’t want to admit it, but he was relieved when he finally heard the sound of Miss Pauling’s motorbike leaving the base. He could forget about the look in Scout’s eyes when he saw her, even if it was just for a few days. Most of all, if she was gone, she wouldn’t find out how he felt about Scout. If she didn’t already have suspicions.

Chapter Text

The following day was fairly typical of life in the RED base. He woke up, left his van to grab a coffee and went out for target practice until Spy called them all inside for a meeting to strategise their next offence against BLU. He had tried to sit next to Scout around the old wooden table they used for these meetings, but Scout had opted to sit between Soldier and Pyro. He was stuck with Medic on his left and Engineer to his right. Not the worst two people to be sat with, at least.

He half-listened to Spy rambling out his newest amazing plan that was probably quite good in theory but wouldn’t work as well in practice, but the rest of him had other things to think about. He fiddled with the strap of his watch, glancing over toward Scout every now and again.

I love him.

He wouldn’t have dreamed about developing feelings for Scout when he’d first been employed by Mann Co. The man’s loud and cocky demeanour had really annoyed him at first. At that point he’d also known he was gay, though he hadn’t ever had much of an opportunity to start anything with anyone. Growing up in the outback he had only ever known a small number of people. Of course, he’d had flings here and there with other men, but never anything long-term. Scout had been his first proper experience of falling in love. It had come completely unexpectedly to him. As he settled into life in the team he’d gotten to know everyone a little better. They’d become more coordinated in their battle tactics and grew closer as a team. Some of them had become quite close friends, such as Demo and Soldier. And somehow he’d found some friendship with Scout. Perhaps it was because he was quiet and a good listener that Scout had felt he was someone he could talk about things with. And boy did he talk, but the more Sniper listened to whatever he had to say the more he found he didn’t really mind. They often shared in their victories by yelling insults at the other team, and Scout’s liveliness and seemingly infinite enthusiasm for his life had made Sniper appreciate his own a bit more. He had tried to deny his feelings for Scout when he’d first realised he had them - he couldn’t let it get in the way of his work - but the more he’d tried to ignore them the worse they’d got. And now it was horrendous, but he couldn’t share his feelings with anyone else. That wasn’t who he was meant to be.

The meeting was over after a while. It had drawn on for far too long, as they always did, but he was free to return to his shooting. He rested his rifle on a crate and fired a few times at the target. But he couldn’t seem to hit it in the same way he usually would, his aim wavering. He knew why this was, of course, but he refused to admit it. Eventually he left, frustrated, swearing at his rifle - or possibly at himself - and headed out to his van. 

He sat within the shade of the camper, hanging his rifle up where he always kept it. He didn’t return to the base until the evening, in order to get some food. He knew he would have to force himself to come to the reality that Scout didn’t love him. That Scout wouldn’t love him. But staying so close to the man, being almost in reach of what he needed, was just making him worse. And he couldn’t allow it to get in the way of his work. He didn’t need these feelings. They were just a hindrance. He’d keep Scout out of sight and out of mind. Then, maybe he’d finally be able to move on.

He stayed away from the base, and away from Scout, over the next few days. It was only when it was time for them to carry out Spy’s latest plan that he re-emerged. As they gathered around he saw Scout eye him with a look of concern.

Don’t do that, he thought, forcing himself to keep his eyes forward and his mouth in a firm line.

His part of the plan was simple. He’d keep a watch over the BLU base, shoot anyone who came into his path, and then he’d change positions to assist in the main assault. It was early morning when they carried out their plan, the first rays of sunlight just kissing the horizon, and a cool breeze blowing through the air. He saw in the distance Spy and Scout making the first moves into the base. After a few minutes, the others all followed, creeping out from behind cover to find their way in. He kept his watch over the top of the base, though he could see his aim wavering again, and his mind didn’t have the razor sharp focus it usually would. He realised too late that someone had spotted him as a gunshot whizzed above his head, splintering the wooden wall behind him. He had to move.

He crept around the inside of the base, trying to find his new position. But he was disoriented, and although he’d studied the map of the base he couldn’t find his way around. Sounds of guns firing nearby told him that he was probably near to where everyone else was. Stalking along the same corridor he heard the sounds getting closer, and eventually found a small window in the corridor’s wall that overlooked a large room - the battlefield. His teammates seemed to be holding their own, but he knew he’d have to help them. Unfortunately, there was nothing to rest his rifle on by this window, so he’d have to find another vantage point. He scoured the area for a suitable path, when a sudden pained cry stopped him in his tracks. He heard Scout shouting for help, and froze up. He knew he had to find a place to shoot from, but the urge to go and help Scout was overwhelming. No, he should help Scout by killing off some of these BLUs. He continued forward, but the sound of a muffled laugh from behind made his blood run cold. He fumbled for his SMG, but in an instant he was knocked to the floor. The pyro had jumped on him and wrestled it out of his hand, throwing it away. He watched it skidding across the floor before he looked back into the black lenses of his attacker’s mask. The last thing he saw was the barrel of a bright blue flare gun.

They had lost the battle this time, a crushing blow in the face of their previous two victories. Spy gave them a harsh debriefing in the afternoon and told them they needed to work harder next time, but none of the team seemed to appreciate his words. An argument broke out in the meeting room, which Sniper used as an opportunity to sneak away to his van again. He needed some time to himself.

The next morning he awoke at the same time as usual, and decided to head away from the base for a while. He trudged through the desert, leaving footprints in the sand, until he came across a boulder that looked like it’d make a good seat. He climbed onto it and stared off into the horizon.

Chapter Text

When Scout awoke he decided he’d go and try to talk to Sniper. Over the past few days he seemed to have been avoiding everyone, and he wanted to make sure he was ok. He knew the man had always been a bit of a loner, but he seemed to have been isolating himself more than usual. He walked around the base, searching for his friend, until he found a set of footprints leading away from the base and into the desert outside. He recognised the pattern left by the soles of the shoes. Sniper had, for some reason, decided to leave the base.

He followed the footsteps away from the base. Sniper had at least walked in a fairly straight line. That made things easier for him. The sun was still low enough in the sky for it to not be too hot yet, though he could feel the temperature increasing with every minute he walked. As he followed the trail, he found himself approaching a boulder in the distance. Maybe Sniper was there? He headed toward it curiously. His focus on the boulder was broken as he stepped on something soft and looked down.

Sniper’s tranquility was interrupted by a sharp scream. He looked over to where the sound had come from and saw a red object lying in the dust. He jumped down from his spot on the rock and ran over to where Scout lay clutching his ankle. Blood seeped between his fingers.

“Scout, mate! What the bloody hell happened?”

Scout groaned, trying to pull his sock down.

“Snake…” he muttered weakly.

“Oh, piss,” Sniper replied, taking off Scout’s shoe and sock and examining the bite, “oh, bloody hell.”

Judging by the appearance of the bite and the amount of pain Scout seemed to be in, it had probably been a venomous snake. He helped him to stand, instructing him not to put weight on his injured foot.

“Come on, we’ll get you to Medic. He’ll fix you up, alright?”

Scout nodded.

“Yeah, yeah, alright,” he replied, his voice strained from the pain.

Now it was just a matter of getting him back in time. Or at least, within range of the respawn machine. He handed his thermos to Scout and ordered him to drink. Scout took it and drank. The cool water inside it was a little relieving, but the burning pain in his leg wasn't getting any better. The two of them slowly began to hobble along the trail of footprints that led back to the base. Sniper held Scout up, allowing him to hop on his one good leg. The sun slowly rolled higher into the sky, and Sniper could feel the heat around them increasing more. He could see the clump of wooden buildings in the distance, but it seemed impossibly far away. Scout was strong, at least, and he seemed to be putting up with it, though the bite was becoming horribly swollen. One thing Sniper noticed, however, was that Scout was being uncharacteristically quiet. He wasn’t even complaining about the pain. Sniper knew that had to be a bad sign.

He noticed Scout slowing down the further they walked. He urged him on, but didn’t know how much longer he’d be able to walk for. The base still seemed so far away.

“Snipes?” he heard a faint murmur.

“What is it, mate?”

“I think I’m gonna pass out.”

That wasn’t good. They had made it a little over halfway to the base, but the venom seemed to be acting quickly. 

“Just hold on, ok? We’ll be there soon. Here, drink some more water.”

He passed the thermos to Scout again, who held it in a hand that was now pale and trembling. His face had gone the same unnerving whitish colour.

They made it a few more short paces before Scout became dead weight in his arms. He picked him up and cradled him, knowing he’d have to carry him the rest of the way. The sun was rising higher into the sky and he could feel the air growing warmer, making sweat bead on his forehead. He kept walking, as fast as he could manage, and eventually the base felt as if it were in reach. He felt Scout’s pulse. It was faint, but still there. Spurred on, he walked a little faster, closing the distance between himself and the base.

Medic awoke to a frantic knocking on the door of his bedroom. He put on his glasses and a dressing gown and opened the door to see a dishevelled Sniper holding a limp-bodied Scout in his arms. 

“Medic! Medic! You gotta help! He got bit by a snake!” 

The panic in Sniper’s voice was clear. Medic noticed that one of Scout’s feet was bare, revealing the swollen, discoloured wound.

“ Scheiße … let me dress, and I’ll meet you at my lab. Here.”

He pressed the key to his lab into Sniper’s palm and closed the door again.

Sniper had laid Scout on a table whilst he waited for Medic to come down. He looked over his still body, watching his chest move slightly with shallow breathing. His face was still scarily pale. He reached out a hand, hesitantly, and touched a finger to Scout’s cheek, then drew it away suddenly, as if it burned to the touch. He then knelt down and reached for Scout’s hand, clasping his hands around it. He ran a thumb across the man’s knuckles, feeling the bumps one by one.

Scout couldn’t feel or hear much in his unconscious state, but he became aware of something touching one of his hands. He felt warmth, and something rough against his skin. It was someone else’s hands, holding his. He didn’t know who, he just knew they had very calloused skin.

Medic burst through the door and Sniper hurriedly let go of Scout’s hand, standing back up as if he’d never done anything. Medic began examining Scout and scouring his shelves and drawers for a variety of pieces of equipment. Sniper watched him nervously. The man worked frantically. The red beam of the medigun lit up, bathing Scout’s body in a red glow.

Eventually, he spoke.

“Well, the good news is that he’ll be fine. It seems you got back just in time. He may be unconscious for a little while, but he should be back to normal within a few hours.”

Sniper sighed with relief.

“Thanks, doc… I dunno what we’d do without you. I dunno what I’d do if…” he trailed off. His mind finished the sentence.

I don’t know what I’d do if I had to live without Scout.

“You wouldn’t be doing much, I imagine, since you’d be dead.”

Medic always was rather blunt like that.

“How did this happen, anyway?”

“I was outside… away from the base… and I guess he must’ve come looking for me and stood on it, or something. I don’t know, I just heard him scream.”

“You know, you ought to stay close to the base. This could’ve been far worse if you were further away.”

“I know!” Sniper said, exasperated, “I just… I just wanted to be alone, alright?”

Medic paused for a moment and fiddled with some equipment.

“Are you sure you don’t want to talk about anything? It seems to me like something has been bothering you, my friend.”

“That… that depends…”

He glanced back at Scout.

“If I tell you, you can’t share this with anyone else, alright?”

“I would never share my patients’ personal information. You know this, Sniper. I only want to make sure you’re alright.”

“Ok, ok…” 

He slumped down into a plastic chair in the corner of the room.

“It… well, it’s to do with him,” Sniper began, gesturing toward Scout, “I… I don’t know how to say this… look, I know this is gonna make me sound like a weirdo, but… I like him. Y’know, in the same way that he likes Miss Pauling.”

Medic nodded.

“To be honest, I had my suspicions. You and I are… both unconventional in that way, I suppose.”

Sniper looked up.

“Wait, you’re telling me you’re gay too?”

“Well, yes. Perhaps that is why I could also see it in you.”

Sniper scratched his head. In some ways, this was a surprise. In other ways, it really wasn’t.

“Doc, I gotta ask, how do you cope with it?” he asked, the weariness clear in his voice, “Loving someone who ain’t gonna love you back? Knowing that even telling them you like ‘em could cost you everything?”

“That’s a difficult question to answer. There is no cure for unrequited love. But I don’t think avoiding him is helping you, you know. I think you should keep spending time with him. Even if you may never be lovers, I think he’d still value your friendship. He did walk out into the desert and get bitten by a snake for you.”

“That’s… that’s right, I suppose. Oh, I really oughta apologise to him when he wakes up. I’ve been avoiding him and he doesn’t know why. What kinda friend does that?”

“Now, now, don’t beat yourself up over it. He’ll forgive you, I’m sure.”

He patted Sniper on the shoulder. Sniper stood up.

“Hey uh, you want me to go get you a coffee?”

“That would be most appreciated, my friend.”

As Medic had predicted, Scout was up and running again by the end of the morning. It was amazing what that medigun of his could do. And now Sniper knew he would have to apologise to him.

He wandered over to where Scout was, laying down on one of the sofas as he spectated Heavy and Demo playing chess. Scout sat up as Sniper stood in front of him.

“Oh, hey Snipes.”

Sniper cleared his throat. He’d placed his hands in his pockets so that Scout wouldn’t notice him balling them into tight fists.

“Look, Scout, I… I’m sorry I’ve been avoiding you like that over the past few days. I’m sorry I ended up getting you hurt because of it. I… I don’t think I can tell you why. Not yet. But… I’ll make it up to you, alright? Wanna… wanna go play baseball?”

Scout grinned.

“Uh, you bet I do! You definitely owe me a game!”

They played baseball together with Soldier and Pyro. Sniper watched Scout run, watched him laugh and smile with the others, watched the sunlight illuminate him. God, he would do anything for that smile. To hear that laughter. 

They played until Soldier and Pyro grew tired of the game and headed inside. Sniper had also grown a bit tired, but didn’t want to show this to Scout, who was still full of energy. They stayed together until the very end of the day, when Sniper finally retreated back to his van for the night.

Chapter Text

Having used his rifle so much recently, Sniper realised that he’d somewhat neglected his bow. In order to make up for it, he set up a target for himself the following morning and grabbed his bow and arrows. As much as he loved his guns, he had to admit there was something very pleasing about being able to get so much power out of what was essentially a few pieces of wood and some string. He fired six arrows into the target, all hitting the gold, before collecting them and slotting them back into his quiver. As he was lining up his next shot he saw Scout wandering over to him.
“Morning, Snipes. I see you’re uh, using that bow again.”
“Yep. S’good to practise with it regularly. Also, there’s no point in me having it if I don’t take the opportunity to use it.”

Scout shuffled his foot against the sand.
“Y’know… Could I uh, could I give it a try?”
Sniper looked a little surprised.
“I mean, you sure can. But I didn’t think this’d be your kinda thing. Too much standin’ around and being still.”

“Well, I guess, but it looks cool,” he shrugged.
“Alright, then,” Sniper smiled, “I’ll show you how it’s done.”
The two of them moved a bit closer to the target to make it easier for Scout. 

“Here, stand like this. Feet apart a bit.”
Scout followed Sniper’s instructions, and then Sniper placed the bow into his hand, showing him how to hold it properly. He could see from here that the target was riddled with holes, and the yellow centre of it was practically torn to shreds. Now and again Sniper would place a hand on one of his arms to reposition him into the proper stance. Scout felt the roughness of his hands against his skin. But despite the coarse feeling of his palms, he touched him very gently. In a way, it seemed like he was being hesitant, almost like he was scared to touch him. But it felt nice, for some reason he couldn’t deduce. Scout picked up an arrow and “nocked” it against the string, as Sniper had called it. He lined up the arrow against the target, then drew back the string, feeling the weight of the bow in his hands. He only kept his draw for a few seconds - as Sniper had told him to - before releasing the arrow. The bow sprung back into its original position as the arrow flew forward and hit the target with a satisfying thunk sound. He could see now why Sniper liked doing this.
“Looks like you got the blue there. Not bad for a first shot! C’mon, I think you can give it another go.”
The next thing Scout realised was that it was actually pretty hard to keep holding the bow up straight. It was heavy, and became more difficult to hold up and draw the more he used it. After a few tries he gave the bow back to Sniper and opted instead to just watch him. At least he’d managed to score a few golds. Apparently the yellow part of the target was called gold, even though it was clearly yellow.
“Man, and you do all that to a moving target? Whilst you’re also moving?” he asked, “you must be stronger than I thought…”
“Yep. Believe me, mate, it took a lot of practice. But you did well for a first-timer.”
“Thanks,” he smiled, “I mean, obviously I knew I’d do well, but thanks.”
He sat on a crate as he watched Sniper plant arrow after arrow into the target. The look of concentration on his face was like nothing he’d seen before. He didn’t know how anyone could stay that still.
Eventually he headed back inside to avoid the heat of the midday sun. Sniper also packed up his equipment not long afterward and stored it back in his van.

Heading inside, he saw Scout sitting on one of the couches, hunched over something on his lap. He looked over his shoulder to see the white corner of a sketchpad.
“Ooh. What’re you drawing?”
Scout jolted from surprise and instinctively clutched the sketchpad to his chest.

“Hey! Geez, don’t sneak up on me like that!”
“Sorry, sorry… but uh, can I see?”
“Alright. I guess. It’s not finished yet, though.”
Sniper looked at the sketched drawing, the pencil lines marking out a lanky figure holding a bow, with the string drawn back.
“Is that me?” he asked.

“We– Well yeah, duh.”
“I like it. You’re a good artist, y’know?”
“I am? I mean, o-of course I am! I’m a great drawer!”

Sniper grinned and left Scout to finish his artwork.
Scout felt an unexpected feeling of pride within him. It had only ever been his family who’d taken an interest in his talent for drawing before, but clearly Sniper liked his work too. He wouldn’t usually show most people his drawings, but for some reason, he felt Sniper was different. 

Well, Sniper was different. He wasn’t really like anyone he’d met before. Real quiet and mysterious. But he was also so nice to him, in a way that most other people weren’t.

Sniper wondered about his interactions with Scout that morning. It was the first time Scout had taken an interest in his archery, and the first time he’d shown him any of his drawings. He hadn’t even known Scout could draw so well before. He wondered if it meant anything, but decided not to read into it. All it meant was that they were friends. Trying to take things any further was inevitably just going to make them fall apart. He couldn’t be the one to break Scout’s heart, that was the one thing he knew for certain. He saw how much Scout needed him as a friend. He couldn’t betray his trust like that.

As he walked along one of the corridors he heard footsteps, and saw Spy materialise in front of him. Oh great. He looked him deep in the eyes, past the sunglasses, and spoke.

“Mick.”

Sniper’s train of thought instantly derailed as he heard Spy call him by his actual name .

“Uh, yes?”

“Come over here. I wish to speak with you privately.”

He motioned for him to come into a room, and shut the door behind them. Then, he addressed Sniper again.

“I know you and Scout are close, and that is why I’m telling you this. There is something I have known I need to tell him for a long time, and I know it will come as a great shock to him. I trust you’ve heard by now that he grew up with only his mother and her other sons?”

“Yeah, that’s what he told me,” Sniper said, unsure of what else to add to the conversation.

“I… I am his father. I was never there for him during his childhood. I left because I wanted to keep him safe. I have made many enemies, Mick. But I regret not being able to support him when he was young. So, I am going to try and be there for him now. However, I am going to need you to be there for him too, because I know this is not something that he will accept easily.”

Sniper wasn’t sure to say at first, but he nodded slowly, pondering Spy’s words. Spy and Scout had always been sworn enemies to each other. Scout would definitely hate him even more if Spy told him he was his father .

“A-Alright. I can do that. You have my word.”

“Thank you, Mick. I know we have not always had the most agreeable relationship, but if there is anyone on this base he trusts, it is you. I am very glad that you two have formed such a bond… and now I must bid you farewell.”

Spy left the room, leaving Sniper alone with his thoughts. So, he hadn’t been the only one with secrets about Scout. But this abrupt new revelation clearly complicated things, despite how cryptic Spy was being about the details. He knew he couldn’t let his feelings toward Scout show now. If one person had already broken Scout’s trust… any hint of his feelings would probably shatter it. He would just have to support him, be the same friend he had always been. Be the friend Spy had entrusted him to be.

Chapter Text

Spy watched from one of the high windows of the base as Scout stormed toward Sniper’s van and slumped down beside it. He had expected this reaction, but he was relieved to have finally told Scout his great secret. Scout would understand eventually, he hoped. He saw one of the van’s doors swing open. Sniper looked down at his friend, then offered him to come inside. Scout went into the van and the door shut again. Several minutes of silence passed. Then, they both climbed into the front of the van. The engine started and they drove away from the base, heading for the road through the desert.

Scout sat in the passenger seat with his arms folded, not talking. Sniper had said he would take him somewhere, though he had no idea where that somewhere was. But he’d wanted to get away from the base, and as far away from Spy as possible. Sniper didn’t ask him anything, letting him speak only if he wanted to. He felt his eyes sting with tears, but resisted the urge to cry. Eventually they turned away from the road and continued through the dust, heading along the winding path of the river. Scout looked out the window and saw that the river widened here. After following it for a while Sniper parked the van at the edge of a patch of shrubbery. A few scraggly trees popped up around the water, and the rest was all large bushes that tangled with each other to form a dense thicket. A rocky cliff on one side of the river had clearly provided enough shade for the plants to take hold without overheating, and it also provided some shelter for the van to stay beneath.

Scout gazed out of the window, taking in the sight of their new private campground. His thoughts about Spy vanished from his head as he took in the change of scenery.

“How’d you know all this place was here?”

Sniper shrugged, “I just decided to follow the river one day and see where I ended up. I mean, it comes right up next to the base, so it’s hard to get lost if you follow it.”

“Huh. It’s... nice here.”

“Well, we can stay as long as you want. This van’s designed for living in, after all.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, of course.”

Scout hopped out of the passenger seat and Sniper followed behind.

“Just watch where you’re stepping. Can’t have you getting bitten by any snakes again.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be careful," Scout rolled  his eyes.

It seemed to Sniper that his idea was working so far. Letting Scout spend some time away from the base like this would hopefully give him an opportunity to sort out his feelings toward Spy. It wouldn't, of course, make his feelings for Scout any easier to manage.

Scout sat by the water’s edge whilst Sniper went into the van to sort some things out. He took his bag off his back and grabbed his sketchpad out from inside it. Finding where he’d put his pens and pencils he continued progress on his drawing of Sniper, carefully outlining the sketchy lines in black ink. Sunlight shone through the gaps in the leaves, making the water beside him shimmer. Patches of light fell upon the paper in front of him. Sniper watched him from a distance, silently appreciating his beauty. He looked practically angelic when the sun hit him at the right angle.

As the evening drew in, Sniper set up a small camping stove and lit it, the warm fire lighting up the space around them. The water had become inky dark in the twilight and the leaves around them rustled quietly. Sniper dropped a few handfuls of pasta into a pot of water he had boiling on the stove. A jar of sauce sat by his side, as well as a pair of plates and some cutlery. Scout had set up a pair of camping chairs whilst Sniper cooked, and eventually they both sat down to eat together. It was a simple meal, but it was nice. And it was nice to share it with Sniper.

When they’d both finished, Sniper headed back into the van to wash the plates and cutlery, and put the stove back where he always stored it. He then grabbed a spare pillow and blanket and tossed them onto the front seats.

“You can sleep in my bed tonight,” Sniper offered, “it’ll probably be more comfortable. I don’t mind sleeping in the front. I mean, I guess you are kind of my guest right now.”

“Oh, um, thanks,” Scout replied.

Sniper headed around to the back of the van in order to change into his pyjamas in private. Scout heard the sound of him opening and closing the van's front door a few minutes later. He was alone in the back now. He decided to carefully look around at all the junk Sniper kept in the place. He found all his weapons, his clothes, a pantry stocked with various tins and packets, other weird trinkets and stuff. He was cautious not to mess up Sniper’s storage system too much, though. Before long he also felt the need to sleep, and laid down on the bed.

So, Spy was his father. He realised that he didn’t really feel angry that Spy had never been around for him . He had seven brothers, after all. He was angry that he had abandoned his mother. His Ma was the most important person in his life, and he had left her to raise him and his brothers alone. What kind of douchebag would ever leave someone like her? And then he had told her to lie to him and to keep the truth from him. Did he think he was some kind of idiot who couldn’t handle the truth? Most of all, he felt betrayed. Spy had not only left him, he’d lied to him. And now he was acting like they could be a happy father and son together, as if nothing had happened. What a selfish prick. He felt water beginning to run down his face.

He turned over and planted his head into the pillow. It smelled. It smelled like dirt and sweat and he didn’t know what a kangaroo smelled like but it probably smelled like one of those too. But he kept his head pressed into it. He didn’t care.

He awoke to a different smell - coffee. Sniper was awake. 

He rolled over and watched the man making himself a mug of coffee, whistling to himself as he did so. Sniper clearly hadn’t bothered fully dressing himself yet, as he was shirtless. Scout stared absentmindedly, his brain still half-asleep, until Sniper noticed him awake.

“Morning, Scout.”

“Hey…”

“You alright?”

“I guess so.”

“Want something to eat? I’ve got… cereal bars. Not much else, really.”

“Sure.”

He sat up, and Sniper tossed him a cereal bar. He saw his companion go outside to drink his coffee in the morning sun. He tore apart the foil wrapper and bit into it. For once, he didn’t really feel like eating much else. He stepped out and saw Sniper lounging in one of the camping chairs, a trail of steam slowly rising from his mug. He seemed really at home out in the wilderness, though that wasn’t surprising.

Scout sat down and stared out into the water ahead of them.

“Should we… should we really be out here? I mean, if Miss Pauling or someone finds out we left the base… she’s gonna be real mad with us.”

“Well, she’ll have to find us first,” Sniper said nonchalantly.

“I guess… but what if something happens back at the base whilst we’re here? If the Administrator finds out we’ll be screwed!”

“Look, I got a radio in the van. If anyone needs us they can call. It’ll be fine.”
Sniper put his mug down on the ground and stood up, stretching. Scout hadn’t ever really seen this more confident, outgoing side of Sniper before, but he liked it. It was reassuring, in a way.
Sniper wandered over to the water’s edge, and Scout realised he hadn’t been wearing his shoes this whole time, either. Though, he doubted that was something that bothered him. The soles of his feet were probably about as rough and calloused as the palms of his hands.
Sniper looked back toward Scout.

“Fancy a dip? Water’s not a bad temperature.”
Scout watched him roll the legs of his trousers up and wade in.

 “…Ok,” he eventually answered, taking off his shoes and socks and following Sniper.

The water was cold, but not too cold. He carefully waded in. The light shining down upon them reflected off Sniper’s sunglasses. Where the dirt met the water at the riverbanks it created a clay-ish mud that caked his feet. He waded further in.

“I uh, I hope nobody snaps your neck this time,” he joked hesitantly.

Sniper smiled brightly, exposing his sharp canines.

“Hah! Yeah, I’ll be ready for ‘em this time!”

He put his fists up playfully. Scout laughed and splashed some water in his face. He laughed too. It was good to hear that sound again. He splashed some water back at Scout. With his shirt now wet, Scout took it off and threw it onto the riverbank. And there they stood, playing around like a pair of carefree fools.

After a while, Scout waded back to the edge of the river and sat down, letting the water lap against his feet. Sniper joined him, laying down with his hands behind his head. They smiled at each other. Scout looked at the water again, then back at Sniper, who had already dozed off.

He laid down as well, watching Sniper’s chest rise and fall peacefully. He snored a little, and seemed to occasionally mumble something, though Scout couldn’t make out the words.

Scout hadn’t realised he’d also fallen asleep until they both woke up with their arms wrapped around each other. They quickly let go, awkwardly apologising to each other. But Scout… didn’t really mind, actually. Sniper definitely didn’t mind, though he did feel a little guilty about it. Even whilst asleep, he still let his feelings for Scout get the better of him. What if Scout had just pushed him away and called him disgusting instead of forgiving him? But at the same time, Scout hadn’t done that… would that mean he’d be able to handle a confession of love? Sniper didn’t linger on the thought. He stood up and looked at his watch. It was later than he’d thought it was.

Time flies when you’re having fun, I suppose , he thought.

In the evening, Sniper showed Scout how to make a campfire, having collected plenty of branches to build it with. Then, with the fire to warm them, they sat in their camping chairs, staring up at the stars. Sniper pointed out the different constellations to Scout, telling him about the myths behind their names and explaining how one could navigate by starlight. Scout listened to him talk with fascination, and it occurred to him that their roles had swapped somewhat. Here, he was the one who listened quietly, whilst Sniper was the one who was more talkative, and took the lead. Perhaps they weren’t as different as he had always thought they were. Eventually, the two of them both went to sleep again, with Scout once again burying his head into the oddly comforting smell of Sniper's bed.

Sniper was awoken early in the morning by the sound of his radio crackling to life. Spy’s voice whisper-shouted to him from the other end.

“Sniper! SNIPER! WAKE UP, BUSHMAN!”

Sniper jolted awake and picked up the transmitter.

“Aw, bloody hell, what is it?!”

“The base is under attack! Why else would I be calling you at this time of the morning?!”

“Ok, ok, ok! Gimme a minute! I’ll be back as soon as I can, the old van only goes so fast.”

Sniper heard Spy make some comment or other about the van as he turned the key and swung the vehicle around to drive back to the base.

Scout was awoken by a jolt of movement. He looked out the window to see the van moving, the first rays of sunlight only just touching the horizon. Gathering his thoughts, it dawned on him what must've been happening. Of course the BLUs would’ve taken the one time the two of them were away from the base to launch an attack.

Chapter Text

Scout heard the sounds of gunfire growing louder as they approached the base. The van rolled to a halt and Sniper carefully parked it within a shadowy spot beneath an awning, trying to stay stealthy. Perhaps their absence would become an advantage, and they’d be able to get the jump on any BLUs who hadn’t planned to be facing them.

Sniper pressed his SMG into Scout’s hands.

“Huh— hey, why are you giving me this?”

“Well, I don’t see any of your usual weapons around here, now. And I think that’ll be a bit more your style than my old rifle. However…”

He picked up the Huntsman and its arrows, running a hand along the smooth curve of the bow.

“…It has been a while since this beauty tasted any blood. I think I’ll leave the rifle here.”

He picked up his kukri as well and the two of them silently left the van. They both listened carefully for the direction the gunshots were coming from. Scout nodded at Sniper before sprinting off, his feet faintly scuffing against the sand. Sniper, meanwhile, crept through one of the many back entrances, carefully holding an arrow between his fingers.

Scout slowed his pace as the floors of the corridors were wet with blood. If he could ambush a BLU, they wouldn’t stand a chance against him. He approached the end of one corridor, where it turned a corner, and pressed himself against the wall. He noticed that the gunfire had grown quiet now, but he knew the BLUs were still inside the base.

Gripping the SMG tightly, he heard the sound of footsteps. A floorboard creaking.

He sprang out from behind the corner and saw a blue figure in front of him. Without even stopping to notice which class it was, he opened fire. 

“THINK FAST, CHUCKLENUTS!” he yelled.

His bones rattled with each bullet the gun spat out, just as the body of his enemy shuddered. He knew even that brief moment of firing had been enough to slay his foe. He lowered the gun and went to inspect the body. Something rolled along the ground beside the figure, who turned out to be the BLU demoman. The rolling object stopped at his feet, and he picked it up. A grenade.

“Sweet,” he grinned.

He continued along the silent corridors, making his way to the capture point, assuming that the BLUs had been trying to take it. A familiar whirring sound sent him stopping dead in his tracks.

“I heard gunshots over here.”

The heavy’s voice echoed in his ears. He gripped the grenade tightly, fumbling for the pin.

He saw the heavy turn the corner, and their eyes met.

“HEY, YOU!” the heavy shouted. 

Scout pulled the pin on the grenade and tossed it, before running in the opposite direction. He felt the heat of the blast on his back as he ran.

He glanced behind him to see the Soldier chasing after him. 

“STOP RIGHT THERE, RED MAGGOT!”

He heard the booming sound of a shotgun and felt pain sear through his leg. Collapsing onto his stomach, he clutched the SMG to his chest. He was about to roll onto his back when he felt the Soldier place a knee onto his spine, pinning him where he was.

“Stay on the ground like the maggot you are,” the soldier snarled.

A large hand tugged at the collar of his shirt. The soldier wrestled the gun out of his grasp without much effort.

Scout felt the soldier then wrap his hands around his neck. He tried to kick and struggle his way out of the man’s grasp, but he felt his muscles weakening as the air left his body.

His panic was halted by the sound of a gruff voice behind them.

“ Get your bloody hands off my Scout. ”

The soldier let go of Scout and looked behind him, before his body suddenly jolted. He made a pained gurgling noise before dropping to the floor, with a large stab wound through his chest. Scout looked up to see Sniper, whose shirt had become even more red with blood, the kukri dripping as he held it in one hand.

Scout coughed and wheezed, struggling to get the oxygen back into his body. Sniper saw that the soldier’s shotgun had reduced his leg to a red mess leaking blood into the floorboards.

“You don’t look great…”

“Yeah, well I don’t feel great either.”

Sniper sighed.

“Well, we gotta go find the others. I hope you can hold your own here whilst I grab Medic for you. If not… seeya after you respawn, I guess.”

Another sudden burst of gunfire interrupted the silence.

“Huh. Well it can’t be hard to find them if you follow the gunshots. You can leave me here, I’ll be fine.”

“Ya sure?”

“Yeah, I got the SMG, and now I have this shotgun and a shovel! I’m basically collecting my own armoury over here!”

Sniper smiled. Scout was always the type to be able to stay positive during battle.

“Alright, I’ll leave you to it.”

Sniper stalked his way along the corridors, the thundering of gunfire growing closer in his ears. He carefully plucked another arrow from his quiver. The moonlight shone through a window at the end of the corridor. He crept up to the window and looked out. Beneath him he saw the BLU scout and pyro standing over the body of their medic, who looked to be unconscious. He quietly unlatched the window and pushed it open, staring at the pair.

He knew he’d have to be careful not to hit the medic. He waited until the scout took a few steps away, then drew his bowstring and released in one swift motion.

The scout fell down, causing the pyro to shout in surprise. They looked up at the window and spotted Sniper, but he released another arrow before they could fire their flare gun.

Hurrying down the stairs, Sniper rushed outside to find where Medic laid next to the bodies of the two BLUs. His medigun had been left to one side, and he had a bad bruise on his face.

“Medic!” Sniper tried to wake him, shaking his shoulders.

He groaned and tried opening his eyes, though the swollen bruise prevented one of them from opening fully.

“ Mein Gott… Ach, Sniper! Thank goodness!”

Sniper helped him to his feet and retrieved the medigun for him.

“Glad to see you, mate. Me and Scout just got back - we managed to fight off a few of the BLUs but Scout’s hurt. Where are the others?”

“Ach, I don’t know, we were separated. It seems like every time one of us sets a foot out of respawn, another gets killed! We’ve been holding them off enough to protect the control point, but we really need your help.”

Another burst of gunfire accompanied by the recognisable voice of Heavy caught Sniper’s attention.

“Huh. Well, Scout’s this way. C’mon.”

The pair of them swiftly made their way back to where Scout was slumped against the wall, cradling the SMG.

“Medic! Man, it’s good to see you. My leg hurts like a bitch .”

“Yes, I can see why,” Medic muttered, readying the medigun.

The group of them suddenly quietened as the sound of heavy footsteps approached them. Scout tightened his finger on the trigger of the SMG. Sniper pulled another arrow from his quiver.

The RED Soldier turned to see them.

“Oh hello, Sniper! Hello Scout! Did you enjoy your little camping trip?” Soldier grinned brightly, his rocket launcher balanced on one shoulder.

“Soldier, I don’t think this is the time to discuss that,” Medic replied, watching Scout’s leg put itself back together, “Go protect the control point!”

“SIR YES SIR!” Soldier answered, giving a salute.

Sniper felt a hand roughly grab his shirt collar and pull him away from Scout.

“Come along, maggot, we’ve got BLUs to kill!”
Sniper choked in protest as Soldier dragged him to the control point.

Scout and Medic were both back on their feet within the next few minutes and followed the other two’s path to the control point - though Scout stopped to pick up his weapons from the armoury first.

With the help from their final two teammates, the RED team eventually managed to keep hold of their control point long enough for the battle to draw to an end. Sniper ran a hand through his hair, hearing the Administrator's voice echo through the base. He looked down at his bloodstained shirt.

“I need a shower.”

Chapter Text

Sniper emerged from the shower just in time for Miss Pauling to call everyone for a meeting. He trudged to the meeting room and took his usual seat around the wooden table. As the others filed into the room and sat down, he noticed that Scout wasn’t among them. He probably still didn’t want to be around Spy. Miss Pauling clearly didn’t want to wait for him to arrive, however, as she placed her hands on the table and addressed the team.

“Now, well done on defending the control point just there, guys. However, the Administrator and I both noticed that two of you were absent for the first half of the battle, and appeared to be away from the base entirely! Scout’s not even shown up to this meeting!”

Sniper felt Miss Pauling’s eyes pierce into him.

“Look, Miss Pauling, it’s my fault, I’m sorr—”

“ Non ,” Spy interrupted him, “it is my fault. Don’t blame Sniper or Scout, Miss Pauling. I am the root of the problem here.”

Miss Pauling turned toward Spy.

“Would you like to elaborate?”

“It…” he sighed, “it is because I told Scout the truth… that I am his father. I had asked Sniper to look after him, because I predicted he’d not take the news well. It is my fault that Scout left the base, and is not currently at this meeting.”

“He came to me after Spy told him and said he wanted to leave the base for a while,” Sniper added, “I took him away… I figured he’d need some time to figure things out by himself. But I came back as soon as I’d heard the BLUs were attacking!”

Miss Pauling looked between the two of them. Sniper could feel the tension in the air. Then, she sighed.

“Spy, Sniper, you should’ve both told me about this all before you did it. I can’t help you guys with stuff you don’t tell me. And you know how the Administrator feels about you leaving the base unannounced. She’s not going to be happy with this. Look, guys, I’ll try and convince her to just let you off with a warning, but you can’t just go doing this kinda stuff again.”

Sniper nodded slowly.

“Ok, ok. I understand. But… could’ja not go bugging Scout about this as well? He’s been through a tough time. I don’t think he deserves being told off for this.”

“I concur,” Spy added, “please, let him off the hook, just this once. I am prepared to take full responsibility for this if need be.”

“Fine. I doubt the Administrator will be as forgiving as I am, though. For the rest of you, just take this as a warning.”

The meeting concluded with them devising a plan for their next retaliation against the BLUs. It had been a while since either side had managed to procure any new territory, but hopefully with Miss Pauling’s help they might gain the upper hand.

Sniper walked up to Scout’s room and knocked gently on the door.

“Hey, Scout. It’s me.”

He heard footsteps, then the sound of the lock clicking. The door opened and he saw Scout standing in front of him, holding a comic with tattered pages in one hand.

“Hi Sniper.”

“It’s probably best if we don’t go running back out into the wilderness for now. I just got an earful from Miss Pauling for it.”

“Miss Pauling’s here?”

“Yeah, she was just holding a meeting.”

Scout’s face suddenly brightened.

“Oh, I gotta go see her! Ah, seeya later, Snipes! Sorry we can’t hang out right now!”

Scout dashed past him, leaving his room’s door wide open. Sniper glanced inside. The room was a mess, with empty cans and assorted items of clothing littering the floor. A few posters lined the red walls. Some were of Tom Jones, others of women in very little clothing.
The feeling of something furry brushing past Sniper’s leg caught him off guard, and he saw a grey blur dash past him and bolt under Scout’s bed. A pair of small, glowing eyes stared at him from the shadows. Hearing footsteps behind him, Sniper turned to see Soldier running toward him, holding a large butterfly net.

“LIEUTENANT BITES! Come back here, Lieutenant! I won’t have your furry butt going AWOL on me again! You hear me, maggot?!”

Soldier stopped beside him, standing in the doorway to Scout’s room.
“Hello, private Sniper! Are you also chasing after one of your rebellious raccoon recruits?”
“Uh, no, actually, I was just–”
“Ah! Well then, could you assist me in convincing Lieutenant Bites to RTB? I know you’re good with animals!”
“Um, sure… guess so.”
Sniper didn’t really want to have to deal with Soldier’s raccoon friends, but he figured Scout wouldn’t want the thing sleeping in his room overnight. Soldier was already crouched down by the bed, peering underneath it.

Sniper sighed, pulling a granola bar from one of his pockets.

“Here, try offering him– uh, the Lieutenant, this. Animals tend to trust you more easily if you feed them.”
“Thank you, private Sniper! Your wisdom never fails to be useful!”
Soldier unwrapped the granola bar and waved it enticingly under the bed, attempting to coax out his furry friend. Meanwhile, Sniper took the opportunity to examine more of Scout’s room. There was a singular writing desk in one corner, where Scout’s sketchbook sat, as well as a record player. Sometimes the music Scout played on it could be heard through the corridor. There was also a sheet of lined paper on the desk, and a pencil with a chewed end left beside it. Sniper examined the paper curiously. He picked it up, revealing a white envelope beneath it.

To Miss Pawling , the paper read. Scout’s handwriting was messy, and Sniper could see his spelling wasn’t particularly good.

I am riting this to tell you how I feell about you. You mite not hav reelized, but I like you. A lot. As in, realy like you. If you like me too, it woud be super awsum if we coud maybe go out together some time?

“AHA!” Soldier yelled victoriously, “C’mere, Lieutenant!”

Sniper looked away from the letter to see Soldier cradling the raccoon in one arm, holding the net in his other. The raccoon itself was clutching the granola bar between its paws, nibbling at it contentedly. Soldier smiled and kissed the top of its head, marching out of the room. 

Sniper looked back down at the paper in his hands. His jaw clenched involuntarily, and he felt jealousy flare up in his heart. Miss Pauling wouldn’t even want the damned letter anyway. 

Without thinking, he crushed the paper into a ball between his hands. The crumpled ball ended up shoved into one of his pockets as he stormed out of the room.

Chapter Text

Sniper saw Scout again in the evening, after Miss Pauling had left the base. Scout didn’t seem to want to pay any attention to him, however, instead approaching Soldier.
“Hey! Soldier! You’ve been in my room again, haven’t you! Don’t try to deny it!”
Soldier faltered, “Well, yes, but–”
“Don’t you ‘yes, but’ me, pal! I keep tellin’ ya to stop taking stuff from my room!”
“It wasn’t me!” Soldier protested, “I didn’t take anything! Look, whatever’s missing, it was probably Lieutenant Bites who took it!”

“Yeah? Well you and your fuckin’ raccoon can both go to hell!”
“Hey, hey, you two!” Engineer said, trying to diffuse the situation, “Look, I’m sure we can–”
“You too, Engie!” Scout retorted, “Man, you guys are all a buncha jerks!”

Scout left the room with his hands balled into fists. Sniper felt his blood turn cold. He’d done this. He moved his hand into his pocket and clenched the crumpled letter between his fingers.

He bit his lip. All he wanted was to keep Scout happy, and now he’d ruined that. Again.

Their next battle came the following day. Sniper and Scout stood side by side in the resupply room, loading their guns and preparing for battle in silence. 

The battle was a definitive loss for them. Sniper knew his performance wasn’t as good as usual, and he hesitated every time he saw Scout beneath him. Scout didn’t particularly want to work with his teammates. Particularly not Spy or Soldier. The BLUs had learnt from their last battle, too, and struck with twice as much force as they had the last time. Sniper lost track of the amount of times he died that battle, but it had been far too many. 

The Administrator’s voice echoed in his ears as he resigned himself to defeat. He raised his hands in the air as the victorious BLU Sniper lined up his scope against his head.

“Looks like BLU team is taking our base again,” Heavy sighed, packing his beloved Sasha away.

Medic had several containers of organs to take to wherever their new base would be.

“Oh, I don’t think it’s all bad! Some of us could do with a change of scenery,” he smiled, petting one of his doves on the head.

Soldier also didn’t seem to be all that keen on the idea of switching bases again. Sniper, meanwhile, hoped that Medic was right. Maybe staying in a new place for a while would improve things.

“Morning, guys,” Miss Pauling’s face flickered onto a grainy screen. Sniper scrutinised her surroundings, trying to recognise her location.

“Now, I can’t come meet with you right now, cause I’ve been busy making sure your new base is gonna be alright for you to move into. It looks like everything’s in good condition, though. We’re moving you to Thunder Mountain, so pack up your stuff quickly. I’ll see you later, guys.”

Thunder Mountain was named for its frequently bleak weather. The evening sun glimmered faintly through the blanket of clouds overhead, lighting up whatever it could touch with a pale golden light. Most of the base, however, was shrouded in the shadow of the dark sky. The air atop the mountain was far different to their previous base. It wasn’t as hot and less dry, but Sniper could tell that the altitude had made it a little thinner. 

He watched rain begin to fall against the windows of his van. The water would fall into a little stream atop the mountain, and as that stream fell down the mountain’s sloped, rocky sides it would grow into a river. And then that river would flow in a silvery curve around their previous base, now occupied by the BLUs. Sniper dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled ball of paper that was now stained with blood. His blood, probably. Scout’s messy handwriting had become even less legible. There was no point in even trying to give it back to him now. He opened his door and threw the paper out into the pouring rain. It tumbled down the rocky slope before rolling to a stop in a small crevasse, where the rain would hopefully turn it into a mulch that he’d never have to think about again.

Rain pounded on the corrugated metal roofs of the base’s buildings as the rest of the mercs huddled inside. Scout glanced outside and saw where Sniper’s van was parked, radiating softly with light from inside. He picked up a phone from where it hung on the wall and dialled his mother’s number.

“Hey, Ma.”

“ Oh, Jeremy! How’ve you been? It’s so nice to hear from you again. ”

“Uh… er, yeah. I’m good, Ma. Just got moved to a new base. It’s kinda rainy right now, though.”

“ Ah, yeah, it’s been a bit gloomy back here in Boston this week. Still, it’s not like a bit of rain ever hurt anyone. ”

“Look, Ma… I ah, I need to tell you something.”

“ Yes? ”

“I know who my real dad is. Spy… he told me.”

“ He told me too. I’m sorry we both kept this secret from you, but I had to. We had to. It was to keep both you and him safe. ”

“Ma, it’s not your fault.”

“ Oh, honey. You’re too nice to me. Look, I know you’re probably angry with your father, too, but… we both knew what we were doing. I knew he’d have to leave, but we did everything we could to try and help each other even though we had to be apart. I know it’s not my place to tell you if you have to forgive him or not… but I don’t want you to think he’s some kind of neglectful deadbeat. ”

“Yeah… I… I love you, Ma. Gotta go do some work stuff, now. I’ll talk to ya again soon, alright?”

“ Love you too, dear! Goodbye! ”

Scout placed the phone back onto the wall and headed to his new room. He began unpacking his things — pinning his posters back onto the walls, getting out his baseball kit and his clothes, and setting up his sketching kit on the desk. He realised his mother was probably right. He realised she’d probably want him and Spy to have a better relationship with each other. But he didn’t know if he’d be able to do that.

The next morning the rain had stopped, though the sky was still overcast. Sniper stepped out of his van and felt his foot sink into muddy ground. The morning light struggled to fight its way through the cloud cover, but it managed to illuminate their surroundings just enough for Sniper to take in the view. Beneath the rocky outcrop that the base was perched upon, a blanket of forest stretched itself across the horizon, its trees reaching for the sky.
He spotted Scout exit the nearest door of the base at his usual running speed.

“Hey, Snipes!” he panted.
“Morning, Scout. Watch your step, it’s wet out here.”
“Ah, I’ll be fine!”
Scout ran past him and disappeared from his view. A few seconds later he heard a startled shout and a squelching noise.

“Told ya so.”
Scout picked himself up from the ground, his front covered in mud.

“Aw, c’mon!” he complained.

Scout tried to wipe some of the mud from his face as he headed back inside. Sniper smiled as he watched him, but his face fell as guilt struck his heart once again. The ghost of that letter still haunted him. He didn’t deserve to be in love with Scout.

Soldier had been busy studying the map of the base when Sniper came to speak to him.

“Soldier, uh, y’know when Scout accused you of stealing from his room?”

“Affirmative! Whilst I do not know what was stolen, you rest assured I have given Lieutenant Bites a stern warning for his actions!”

“Ah, yeah, well, the thing is… it wasn’t him who took anything. It was me. I wanted to apologise. Scout got angry with you for no reason, and it’s my fault.”

Soldier seemed to consider his words for a few moments.

“Have you told Scout this?”
“No… I… I’d prefer it if you didn’t tell anyone either. I’ll tell him… when I’m ready.”

“Eh. Alright then. Thank you, private Sniper. Dismissed!”
Sniper hoped that he’d never actually have to tell Scout. By the time he worked up the courage to, maybe Scout would have forgotten about it. He’d probably have another letter written by then. One that would be able to reach its intended recipient.

He felt a little better about having faced up to Soldier, but Scout’s presence still weighed on his mind. He knew it would probably be a few days until they next fought. He stared out toward the forest again, and felt it call to him. Surely, out there in the wilderness he’d be able to escape his feelings for Scout for a while?

Chapter Text

The woodland of Thunder Mountain was thickly packed with ancient trees that had withstood the conditions of the mountainside for many years. Some of them were probably decades old, or longer. Beneath the canopy other trees and shrubs struggled to grasp onto what pieces of sunlight they could salvage from their competitors. Everywhere he could sense the signs of life. Animal tracks were fresh and clear in the mud, and the sounds of birds calling to one another echoed in his ears.
It was beautiful.

But it wasn’t the same without Scout.

He kept walking, but he imagined Scout walking beside him as he did so. He’d be asking him about the birds, about the animal tracks. He’d probably try and climb one of the trees before realising the bark was too slick with moss and lichen for him to get his footing. For a moment, he stopped in his tracks, realising that he was alone. The song of a lonely bird rang through the forest.

Sniper hadn’t realised how long he’d been walking for until he looked past the treeline to see an orange glow filtering through the trees. The sun was already setting. He turned around, knowing he’d have to get back to the base before it got dark.

“Yo, where have you been all day?” Scout asked him when he made it back inside, the sky having turned a deep blue as night approached.
“Uh, I was out. Exploring the forest outside the base.”

Scout smirked, “‘Course you were, bushman.”
“Y’know, it’s really nice out there. You should see it.”
“We could always go out there together,” Scout offered, “I, I mean, we’ve got time tomorrow.”

He dropped his gaze away from Sniper for a moment, before glancing back up at him.

“Yeah?” Sniper replied, a little surprised at Scout’s eagerness to go hiking.

“Yeah, sure! Sounds like more fun than hanging around in this damp old place.”

Sniper had to admit, their new base gave him a far lesser sense of security than their previous one. It seemed like at any moment it would all suddenly fall apart and tumble down the mountain. The whole place was cobbled together from pieces of cheap wood, metal, and concrete. Still, he’d tolerate the poor construction quality if it meant more of the Mann Co. budget went into his paycheck.

Mist curled around the trunks of the trees as Scout followed Sniper into the forest. Sniper was carrying a backpack, in which he’d stashed some snacks and drinks for the pair of them. He was fully prepared to spend all day out in the forest, and Scout could see why. He’d never seen a place like this before. It almost didn’t seem real. The air was so quiet that he could hear every breath Sniper took as the two of them continued down their path. Not that there was an actual path to walk on, he was just following Sniper through the undergrowth.
Scout could hear the sound of rushing water growing closer as they walked. It wasn’t long until they ended up at the source of the sound, a waterfall tumbling down a small, rocky cliff. Scout looked up at the waterfall.

“Woah…”
“Wanna know something about this place?” Sniper asked.

“Sure.”
“This little waterfall leads from the start of the river that was by our previous base. This mountain’s where the river’s source is. I’ve seen it on maps of the area.”

“Really?”
“Really.”
“That… is super cool,” Scout breathed, gazing up at the column of cascading water. Sniper always seemed so wise when it came to the natural world. Scout had learnt so much from him.

“C’mon, let’s sit and have a break for a bit.”
Sniper found a rock to sit on and set his backpack down next to him. He unzipped it and took out his thermos flask from inside, as well as a can of Bonk! which he handed to Scout. Scout took the can from his hand and sat beside him. A trail of steam rose from the thermos as Sniper opened it, fogging up his sunglasses.

“So, why do you wear those sunglasses all the time?” Scout asked, “I mean, I can understand it when we’re out in the desert, but it’s not really sunny out here or anything.”
“Eh, I just have sensitive eyes. Always have done. My dad gave me these when I was younger so I wouldn’t be squinting at everything all the time.”

“Huh. So it’s not just ‘cause you wanna look all mysterious and badass ,” Scout teased.

Sniper smirked, “nah. Though I guess it helps with those things too, I suppose.”
The pair of them sat together for a while, watching the water tumble down the waterfall and flow down the small stream away from them. Then, Scout crushed his empty can and walked over to a nearby tree.

“Yo! You think I can climb this thing?”
“You can try. I’d be careful, though.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be fine. What are you, my mom? I’m gonna climb this tree so hard it’s not even gonna know what hit it!”
Sniper smiled, watching Scout begin to make his way up the tree. To his credit, he seemed to be doing fairly well, steadily making his way upward.

“Aw, you should see it up here!” he called, “The view’s great!”
Sniper stood up and walked to the base of the tree, looking up at Scout.

“Are you planning to stay up there all day? Maybe I should’ve brought some bananas with me.”
“Hey! Are you callin’ me a monkey? I’ll come show you who’s a monkey!”
Scout began climbing down the tree. The branches were a bit slippery beneath his feet, but he kept going, hopping swiftly from branch to branch.
Sniper’s heart skipped a beat as he saw Scout lose his footing and suddenly drop downward. The next few moments passed in a blur, but he felt Scout’s weight fall safely into his arms, and not onto the ground.

“Oof!” Scout exclaimed.

Sniper sighed with relief.

“Bloody hell, mate! That was a close one! I told you to be careful! Clearly I misjudged you – a real monkey wouldn’t go falling out of trees like that!”
He set Scout back down onto the ground.

Scout laughed, though his face was a little flushed. He hoped Sniper didn’t notice the slight pinkness of his cheeks.

“Hahah. Yeah. If I were an animal, though, what animal d’you think I’d be? I think I’d be something cool, like a wolf. Or a cheetah, cause they’re fast and stuff.”
Sniper laughed in return.

“Not on your life, mate! You’d be a rabbit, or something.”
“A rabbit?!”
“Yeah, small and fast, but not very strong. Actually, nah. You’re too loud to be a rabbit.”
“Oh yeah? Well I think you’d be a… a kangaroo!”
“You’re just saying that ‘cause it’s the only Australian animal you know.”

“Nuh-uh! I know more than that!”
“Oh yeah? Name some, then.”
“Uhhh. A uh, the bear thingy. Koala! And… spiders!”
“What kind of spiders?”

“Big hairy ones that kill people and look really scary! The kind of spiders you’d have to be really crazy to live in the same place as!”
“Oh, they’re not that bad. As long as you don’t bother them they won’t bother you. They just look strange if you aren’t used to them.”
“See what I mean? Totally crazy!”

Sniper laughed. The two of them continued talking back and forth as they walked, the stream ahead of them preventing them from straying too far from the base. Despite all the laughter that they shared, Sniper couldn’t help but feel that he didn’t deserve Scout. What had he ever done for Scout to think he was worth spending so much time with? 

Eventually, they reached another place to rest, a small clearing in the forest where a fallen tree lay. Sniper ran his hand along the trunk. How old had this tree been before it had fallen? It was hard to tell, but it looked ancient. He sat down, leaning against the bark. From his backpack he dug out some sandwiches, and handed one to Scout, unwrapping the other.
“I just put ham and cheese in them. Hope that’s alright.”

“What, no vegemite?”
“Hah, nah, can’t really get that around here. Never seen it being sold anywhere, at least. Wouldn’t say no to buying some if I did happen to find it, though.”

“Yeah, just don’t try feeding any of it to me. It looks gross .”

Scout didn’t really know what drew him to Sniper so much. But they got along so easily. Sniper didn’t grow tired of his talking, he didn’t dismiss him in the way that other people did so regularly. That was just another one of the mysterious things about his friend. He often wondered what was really beneath those sunglasses of his. Though, just being able to be friends with him and share these small moments was enough for him. It was nice having someone who enjoyed spending so much time with him. That was something he never got with Miss Pauling, despite how much he liked her. She was always so busy with her work. 

Maybe if Sniper was a girl I’d prefer him over Miss Pauling , he thought to himself, before pausing.

What? No, that’s stupid. I’m not gay or anything.

But he couldn’t deny the strange way he felt toward Sniper. 

They spent the rest of the afternoon continuing their adventure through the forest before heading back to the base. As the evening drew in, Sniper headed onto the roof in order to watch the sunset. Scout decided to join him.

“Evening. Nice sunset, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it is.”
The clouds had shifted, leaving the setting sun visible to them both. It burned a line of orange light across the horizon, delivering one final burst of colour to the world before it would inevitably be swallowed by the distant treeline.

“I brought drinks,” Sniper mentioned, offering Scout a beer.

“Ah, sweet. Thanks, pal!” Scout grinned, taking the bottle.

As the light faded, the sky grew darker. Stars began to become visible in the sky. Sniper took off his sunglasses to watch each constellation emerge above them. Scout watched him, and found himself staring deep into his friend’s eyes.

“There’s the big dipper up there,” Sniper noted, “and the little dipper right there as well.”
“Huh. Yeah…” Scout replied, though he wasn’t really paying attention to the stars.
“I never noticed your eyes were kinda… green and brown at the same time,” he said.

“Hm. They’re hazel — that’s what the colour’s called. One of the rarer eye colours, or so I’m told.”

“Hazel. Like the tree? Hah, suits you,” Scout smiled, “Bushman.”

Sniper gazed into Scout’s own eyes. He wanted to return the compliment and tell Scout that he had a beautiful pair of blue eyes, that his gaze made his very soul feel lighter. But none of those words made it out of his mouth. 

He simply replied with a “Yeah.”

Scout sighed, leaning back.

“Y’think we could just stay here all night? It’s nice out here.”

“You might get a bit cold. I’m sure your bed’s much more comfortable than this metal, anyway.”
“True… the sky’s really clear out here, though.”
“It is. It’s ‘cause we’re more remote out here. Less light pollution. You should see what the night sky in the Outback is like. On a good night, you can see everything .”
“Everything?”
“Yeah. Words wouldn’t do it justice, I can tell ya that.”

Scout smiled at Sniper. There was something else that couldn’t be described. That familiar warm feeling that had taken root in his heart and only grew stronger when he met Sniper’s eyes. Whatever it was, it told him that this was how he wanted to spend the rest of his life.

Chapter Text

Rain fell onto the battlefield, which was something nobody seemed to be particularly fond of. Sniper wondered – or perhaps, hoped – if the BLU team might be so put off by the weather that they gave up entirely. Probably unlikely, though. He doubted the rain would be enough for them to give up their day’s pay. He was relatively dry, hidden under the roof of a building as he stared down at the battlefield below him. He watched Scout dash toward the enemy team, surprisingly sure-footed in the wet conditions. The others didn’t seem to be faring so well. He caught sight of Demo stumbling a few times, and wasn’t sure if it was the wet ground or just that he was drunk. Medic looked particularly miserable, having to stop and wipe the raindrops from his glasses every few moments. Engineer’s sentries didn't seem to be enjoying the weather, either. Nor did the Texan himself. 

Each bullet and explosion threw mud into the air, churning up the battlefield. Sniper was very glad to be hidden away in his relatively cosy nest rather than falling on his face in the mud down there. It was also far easier to pick off the BLUs when they were having so much trouble staying upright. The best thing about his position, however, was that it was far easier to catch anyone trying to sneak up on him. Despite the enemy’s best efforts, their poor little cart wasn’t making much progress. 

“What’s the matter, can’t handle a little rain?” he smirked, putting another bullet through the Soldier’s helmet.

The battle was called to an end after the cart had just barely rolled past the halfway point into the base. Sniper could see Scout running toward him.

“Hey! Look at that, we did it! High-five!”
Scout held up his hand, which was coated with a mixture of mud and blood.

“I am not getting any nearer to you until you’ve had a shower.”
Scout rolled his eyes.

“Alright, fine. You now owe me a high-five, though. I’m not gonna let you forget it!”

Scout got his high-five when the group of them returned to the warmer, drier interior of the base. He had showered, just as Sniper had requested. Thankfully. The others were already busy celebrating, grabbing their usual celebratory drinks from inside the fridge. 

“Good fighting out there,” Sniper mentioned to Scout.

“Oh, uh, thanks. Yeah, well, those BLUs didn’t really stand a chance against me, y’know?”
“They sure didn’t,” Sniper nodded, reclining into a wooden chair and propping his feet up on a table.
Scout smiled a little at Sniper’s compliment. It was nice to have someone who actually appreciated his talents. He then joined the others in their celebrations, whilst Sniper stood back in the corner of the room and watched them.

Sniper saw Scout laughing and talking with his teammates. The weight of what he needed to tell him made his heart sink, but he knew he’d have to say it at some point. Scout would hate him for it, but he couldn’t bear holding the secret from him much longer. All he needed to do was build up the courage, and find the right moment. He just hoped Scout wouldn’t tell anyone else. 

Scout looked behind him, seeing Sniper standing in the corner of the room with his arms folded. He walked back toward him, grabbing him a beer from the fridge as he did so.

“Yo! Snipes! Why don’t ya come join us?”
He offered Sniper the beer.

“Oh, I uh… I was gonna go back to the van.”
He took the bottle, feeling the cold glass against his skin.

“Really? C’mon, isn’t it nicer in here? You’re just gonna get wet if you go outside, anyway.”
“A bit of rain never hurt anyone. But, well… if you insist.”
He forced a smile at Scout, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his heart as he followed him to where everyone else was gathering.

“I mean, if you wanna go to your van I ain’t gonna stop ya,” Scout replied. He could sense something was up with Sniper, but he didn’t know what.

“Nah, nah. It’s fine. You’re right, the weather out there is pretty shit right now.”

He looked into Scout’s bright, beautiful eyes and knew how difficult it would be to ruin their friendship. He tried to reassure himself that Scout was a grown man and would be able to cope with it… but that was only half the problem. Whatever Scout’s reaction was, he didn’t know if he’d be able to cope with it. Even if Scout didn’t react with hatred and anger, the relationship between them would be changed, tainted.

Scout tried to look past Sniper’s sunglasses, remembering the glimpse of his eyes he’d got the previous night, the way the stars above them had reflected in his pupils. There were so many mysteries hidden behind those lenses, and Scout had only ever gotten a few steps closer to finding out any of the man’s true thoughts or feelings. He didn’t know why he was so keen to find out more about Sniper. In fact, he probably knew more about him than about most of his other teammates. There was just something about him, something he didn’t quite have a word for yet.

The rain had stopped in the evening, though the sky was still too cloudy to see much of the sunset. Scout looked out of his room’s window, staring at the orange blur in the sky which hid the sinking sun. He looked down, spotting Sniper’s van parked at the edge of the forest. He imagined himself sitting there with Sniper, watching the last remaining daylight fade from the sky. He wondered if they might be able to spend more time together tomorrow. Perhaps the rain would stop and they’d be able to spend more time outside, the way Sniper preferred. Scout had always thought of himself as more of an indoorsy person (unless it came to baseball), but Sniper had shown him parts of the outside world he’d never even thought about. What with growing up in the city he’d never really had much of an opportunity to discover nature, though he'd realised just how amazing it could all be after Sniper started showing him things. He’d never known you could eat cactus until Sniper had told him about it!

He gazed out his window for a while longer, eventually spotting Sniper heading back toward his van for the night.

“Yo, Snipes!” he called, waving to his friend, “Seeya tomorrow!”
Sniper looked up at him and waved back.

“G’night, mate!”

Scout stepped away from the window and laid down on his bed, smiling to himself. Working for Mann Co, fighting with Sniper by his side, it was the only thing he really needed in life. He felt that feeling of warmth come to him again, but once again denied what it was. 

Don’t be crazy , he thought, just ‘cause you and Snipes are close doesn’t mean you love him! For a start, you’re both guys. And also, what about Miss Pauling?

He had to admit, however, that he didn’t feel as strongly toward Miss Pauling as he had when they’d first met. Yes, she was smart and cute and really pretty, but the feelings toward Sniper he’d developed had started to outweigh his feelings for her. What would Sniper say if he mentioned this? He hoped the feeling might just disappear by itself. Perhaps it was just a weird quirk, and it would go away eventually. Deep down, however, he realised this probably wasn’t going to be the case.

Chapter Text

Another battle came upon them the next day. The sky was a little clearer, and it wasn’t raining, though the ground was still wet, staining Scout’s white socks. He took a moment to reload his pistol, but spotted a flash of blue out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head and spotted a trail of smoke. The spy. 

He didn’t see the spy but knew he was there. The spy had failed to take into account the muddy ground, and left a trail of footprints into the base. Scout followed the trail until reached a point where the spy had clearly realised he was leaving his tracks, and had hastily tried to wipe the mud from his feet. But Scout had a good enough idea of where the spy was headed - toward Sniper. A feeling of anger suddenly flared up inside him and he picked up his pace, sprinting toward where he knew Sniper was nested. He had to stop this spy.

Sniper focused carefully on his shot. The BLU team’s Medic wasn’t trying to make himself an easy target, but he had to be prevented from reaching his teammates. Sniper predicted that he was probably close to full Übercharge by now, if he didn’t already have one ready to deploy.

He grinned as the shot went cleanly through the medic’s skull and watched through the scope as his body dropped to the floor.

The sound of his rifle firing disguised the subtle noise of the spy behind him uncloaking. The smell of smoke didn’t reach his nose until it was too late. He tried to fight the spy off, but he ended up knocked to the floor with a knife through his chest. His vision clouded as he saw a red blur fling itself at his attacker. A red blur that was holding a baseball bat.

“HEY, SHITFACE! LEAVE MY SNIPER ALONE!” Scout yelled, his bat satisfyingly colliding with the spy’s skull. The spy fell to the ground, half of his head now red and bleeding. Scout immediately dropped the bat and drew his pistol, shooting several rounds through what remained of the spy’s head.

‘My’? Sniper thought, though he didn’t really have enough blood flowing to his brain to properly pick apart what Scout had meant by that.

“Yeah, that’s what you fuckin’ get,” Scout spat, holstering the pistol. 

Scout turned around to where Sniper sat slumped against the wall, blood leaking in a steady stream from his chest. The anger evaporated from his body and turned into panic.

“Oh, shit. Snipes, hold on! I’ll find you a medikit or something, ok?!”

A weak smile twitched at the corner of Sniper’s mouth. He coughed as he tried to speak.

“Nah… ‘s’ok… jus’ let me respawn, yeah…?”

Scout’s shoulders fell. Sniper was right - finding a medikit would be too much of a hassle. But he didn’t want to see Sniper dying in front of him.

“Good… good fightin’ there.”

Scout picked his baseball bat back up as he saw the light fade from Sniper’s eyes. He’d seen him die before, but it was worse knowing that he’d failed to stop the spy from killing him. If only he’d been just a few seconds faster. He balled his hands into fists and growled in frustration before heading away from the nest.

He dragged himself back onto the battlefield, but couldn’t stop himself from checking Sniper’s nest every now and again to make sure he’d made it back safely. He knew it was possible for the respawn machines to malfunction, and although he’d never seen it happen, it was always a source of anxiety for him. Moreso now, it seemed.

Fortunately, the respawn machines continued to function as normal throughout the battle, allowing the REDs to gain the upper hand and secure themselves another victory.

Sniper was, predictably, sitting outside in the afternoon following the battle. He had one of his camping chairs out, with an empty one beside it. He gazed off into the distance, watching the birds fly from tree to tree. The sky had become a little clearer by this point, but thick grey clouds still tried to smother out the daylight.

Scout sat himself down in the camping chair that had been left for him.

“Sorry I didn’t get to that spy in time earlier…” he said, “I tried chasing after him but I was too late…”

“Not your fault,” Sniper replied, glancing back at him, “besides, we’re both alright now. And we won.”

“Yeah, that’s true…” Scout scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.

Sniper glanced at Scout, then away from him. His heart raced.

“Look, Scout… there’s something I need to apologise to you for.”

“Yeah…?” 

“You remember, just before we got moved here, when you got angry with Soldier for stealing something from your room?”

“Yep. I mean, I never got it back, but it—”

“I’m the one who stole it. I was pokin’ around in your room like some kinda idiot… and I saw it and… I just wasn’t thinkin’ right. I’m sorry.”

Scout was confused.

“Wh… why? What for? I don’t get it. Why?”

“Because… Because I’m in love with you, Scout. Have been for too long. And I couldn’t stand the idea of you liking Miss Pauling over me, and it was driving me crazy.”

He looked down.

“I know I was wrong for it. You’re allowed to hate me for this. I just needed to get it off my chest. Just, please… don’t tell anyone else. I’m sorry.”

Sniper stood up and began to walk away.

“Wait… wait, Snipes, don’t go!”

He ran toward Sniper, grabbing him by the arm. He paused for a moment, looking up toward Sniper’s face, looking past the tinted sunglasses and into the hazel eyes that laid behind them.

“Look, Snipes… I… I guess I’m a bit annoyed about the letter, but… c’mon, it’s not that big of a deal, ok? I coulda wrote another one! I might not be that good at writing, but I would’ve done if I wanted to. I would never hate you, Snipes. I could never hate you.”

He gripped Sniper’s arm more tightly, scared that the man might still leave him.

“See, the thing is… I think… I think I kinda like you back. I think I have for a while, I just didn’t realise it… I don’t care if you snooped in my room, or stole my dumb love letter. Well, maybe I care a bit. But I just want to stay with you. I can’t have you leavin’ me, man.”

Scout opened his arms, offering for Sniper to hug him.

“You shouldn’t feel like you gotta apologise for liking me, either. Even if I didn’t like you back, I’d still wanna be friends. I just wanna be here for you, man.”

Sniper wrapped his arms around Scout in a tight hug.

Chapter Text

Sniper pondered over the previous evening as he woke up and made his morning coffee. He still didn't quite believe that Scout liked him back. What if he’d just been saying that so they’d stay friends? But then again, Scout had seemed so sincere. He’d seen a look in his eyes he’d never noticed before. At any rate, Scout had accepted his apology. Sniper had expected far worse to happen, but it hadn’t. He was alright. 

His train of thought was interrupted by the sound of soft footsteps behind him. He saw Scout standing behind him. They smiled awkwardly at each other.

“Morning…” Scout greeted him.

“G’day,” Sniper replied. 

He raised his mug to his lips and took a sip of his coffee. Scout sat down on a wooden chair. He felt Scout’s eyes linger on him, and wandered over to sit down beside him.

“You still look half-asleep,” Scout remarked, noticing Sniper’s messy hair and bleary eyes.

“Yeah, yeah. I know. I’ll be alright once I’ve had my coffee.”

“Caffeine addict,” Scout teased.

“Like you can talk. You pretty much live off those energy drinks.”

“At least those taste nice!”

“I can’t imagine they do. They must be full of weird artificial flavourings and stuff.”

“Oh yeah?”

Scout stood up and walked to the fridge, grabbing a can and placing it on the table in front of Sniper.

“Try it.”

Sniper raised an eyebrow. Scout grinned.

“C’mon! Try it. I dare ya.”

Sniper rolled his eyes and smiled, cracking the can open. Scout watched him wince as soon as he took his first sip.

“And that’s supposed to taste like cherries?” he asked, bewildered.

“Well, uh. It’s supposed to be cherry flavoured… ”

Sniper slid the can back to Scout. He didn’t really understand how or why there was a difference between tasting like cherries and tasting like cherry flavour.

“You can keep that, mate.”

“Hey, at least I don’t have to start sharin’ my bonk supply with you.”

Scout picked up the can and took a sip from it. It occurred to him briefly that Sniper’s lips had touched the can only a few moments ago.

He definitely couldn’t deny now that he liked Sniper. Particularly not after he’d even told him the day before.

Neither of them seemed particularly eager to bring up the previous day’s conversation, though its presence hung in the air around them. Scout could see in Sniper’s expression that there was more he wanted to say. They didn’t have the time, though. Spy would want to have a meeting to discuss strategy for their new base. Miss Pauling would probably be gracing them with a visit soon to see how they were settling into the new base. Not to mention what could happen if their colleagues caught sight of them being anything more than friends with each other.

Scout realised he had to speak out, though. There was too much going around in his head.

“So… how long did you knew you liked me?” he asked quietly, cautious of if anyone were to overhear them.

Sniper paused for a moment, before answering.

“Ah… ‘s hard to say, to be honest. Been keeping it a secret for longer than I should’ve, that’s for sure…” he sighed.

“Oh,” Scout paused, “I mean… I think I’ve liked you for a while now, really… I just didn’t know that was what it was cause I thought I liked Miss Pauling. I mean, I did like Miss Pauling, genuinely! I thought the way I felt about you was just ‘cause we were friends. Man, it seems kinda stupid now that I never realised.”

Sniper shrugged.

“Everyone discovers these things at their own pace. Me, personally, I think I started to realise in my teens. Never had any interest in girls like the other boys I knew, no matter how much my parents wanted me to settle down with a nice young lady. Then I went and became an assassin, so I guess I ain’t doin’ much to meet their expectations of me, heh. It was when I first started taking up assassin jobs that I really realised what I was - y’know, since I ended up spending more time in the cities and what have you.”

“So, you’ve met other gay people before?”

“Yeah. Never formed any long-lasting connections, though. That was the nature of the job. Met bisexual people, too. That’s when you’re into both. Men and women, I mean.”

“Like me, then?”

“Guess so,” Sniper said nonchalantly, with a shrug.

“Huh.”

Their conversation was cut short by the other mercs awakening and wandering downstairs for breakfast. Soldier arrived punctually, at the same time he always did, eventually followed by all the others.

“Gentlemen,” Spy announced, once everyone else had made it downstairs, “we will meet at 10:30 today to discuss our strategy against the BLU team. I expect you all to be there. We have done well so far in this new base, but we do not want another disappointment.”

“SIR YES SIR!” Soldier saluted.

Scout glanced at Sniper and rolled his eyes. Sniper tried to disguise a smirk behind his coffee mug.

Scout spent his morning working on his sketches, sitting outside on the base’s roof and drawing the forest ahead of them. Sniper watched him with interest, watching the image become more complete with each stroke of the pencil against the paper. He carefully snaked an arm around Scout’s back and rested his hand on his shoulder. Scout flicked his gaze toward him and his face flushed slightly pink, but he continued working on his sketch.

A few minutes later, he showed the completed drawing to Sniper.

“Here, it’s finished. I mean, I might add a few more details later, but, y’know. I think it looks pretty good, right?”

“Indeed it does,” Sniper agreed, “very nice.”

Scout inched slightly closer to Sniper and placed one of his hands on his. Sniper glanced at him, and nervously smiled. Both of them had entirely forgotten about Spy’s meeting.

Spy watched as his teammates began to enter the meeting room, gathering around the wooden table. Soldier had, unsurprisingly, been the first to enter the room. Medic had dutifully followed behind, Heavy and Demo then ambling behind them. Pyro was the last to enter, having followed behind Engineer. 

“Where are Sniper and Scout?” Spy asked, noticing the two empty seats in the room.

The team all looked around with clueless expressions. Clearly none of them knew, nor had really noticed the pair’s absence.

Spy sighed.

“Fine. I suppose I shall go and look for them.” 

Spy looked around the various places outside the base, knowing that the two of them liked spending time outside together, though only saw their empty camping chairs outside Sniper’s van. They clearly hadn’t gotten distracted doing any target practice, since he couldn’t hear gunfire. There was the possibility that Sniper was practising his archery outside, though he still didn’t find him. He looked out at the forest outside the base and wondered if they might’ve gone for a walk in the woods, though didn’t feel like trying to find them out there. He’d just end up wasting his time, when he’d rather be getting back to the meeting.

He knocked on the door to Sniper’s van, but received no answer. He tried various other rooms around the base as well, including Scout’s bedroom, but still nothing. There was one place he knew he hadn’t checked yet, however, and it was the kind of place one might expect a Sniper to be.

The stairs up to the roof were rickety and creaked beneath his feet. He wondered how long it might be before they collapsed entirely, though hoped that someone would manage to fix them before that happened. Or maybe they’d just use it as a trap to catch the BLUs.

His idle thoughts about the stairs were stopped abruptly when he reached the top of them and looked onto the roof. Not having noticed his presence, Sniper and Scout sat together, arms wrapped around each other in a deep embrace, with their lips pressed together.

He halted, stunned for a moment, then crept quietly down the stairs. He almost kicked himself for not realising Sniper had feelings for Scout sooner. It seemed obvious now. But, at the same time, it brought him a sense of comfort knowing that Scout had someone he could rely on, someone who loved him with all his heart. He wished he could have allowed himself to feel the same way, instead of pushing away the people who were meant to be his family. All those wasted years he spent only giving the occasional phone call to Scout’s mother, only being in Scout’s life for a flash, before disappearing. But disappearing had always been his greatest skill. 

He returned to the meeting room and explained that he hadn’t been able to find the two of them, before continuing by laying out his battle plans. Thankfully, nobody seemed to question him.

Sniper took off his sunglasses and gazed into Scout’s eyes. He wasn’t sure if what had just happened had been real. 

“Blimey…” he breathed, “you’re a good kisser, mate.”

Scout’s face was bright pink, and he broke into an awkward but happy grin.

“Heh, well, uh. That’s good, I guess. I uh, I could do it again if you like…”

Sniper smiled.

“Y’know what, I wouldn’t mind that.”

Chapter Text

It had been almost a week since Sniper and Scout had shared their feelings for each other.

“So, you and Scout are… actually together, now?”

“Yeah,” Sniper nodded, “Y’know, I really didn’t think it would happen. I was surprised too, when he told me he liked me back.”

Medic smiled.

“Well, I guess love finds a way.”

“I guess it did. I just hope nobody else finds out… Miss Pauling’s probably already finding it a bit strange that Scout isn’t as all over her as he used to be.”

“How is Scout getting along with Spy as of late? I haven’t seen them together much.”

“Ah, I dunno. They still ain’t talking much, but I guess they ain’t murdering each other either, so… same as before, seems like.”

“Hm, that’s not too surprising, I suppose. As long as they are at least tolerating each other’s presence, heh.”

“Yeah…”

One of Medic’s doves fluttered onto Sniper’s shoulder and examined him curiously. The room was full of the birds, all hopping and flying around, pecking at bowls of seeds Medic had left out for them.

Scout stood with his feet apart, bat raised. His eyes were locked on the ball. The lenses of Pyro’s goggles glinted in the sunlight.

They held up their arm, ready to throw the ball.

“Mrrfm?” they asked.

“Yeah, I’m ready!”

The ball soared through the air, and Scout felt it collide with his bat. Pyro laughed and clapped their hands as they watched the ball fly away and smash through one of the base’s windows.

Sniper jumped back in surprise as the window in front of him shattered and something came flying through. He looked down. A baseball. Ah, of course. He picked it up and looked out at where it had come from.

Scout felt a hand ruffle his hair as Sniper handed him his baseball back.

“You’re gonna get sunburnt again, y’know.”

“Ah, whatever. You wanna join in?”

Sniper’s hand moved to his shoulder and lingered there for a few moments. Pyro curiously stared at the two of them, cocking their head to the side slightly.

Sniper saw them staring and took his hand away, nervously. He assumed that Pyro wouldn’t have any problems with being together – they seemed to love anything cute and romantic, whatever form it took – but they might end up telling someone who wouldn’t look so kindly upon them.

Scout tossed the ball back to Pyro. Once again, it flew toward him, and he managed to hit it again. Pyro chased after the ball as it attempted to escape the confines of the base.

Scout lowered the bat and looked at Sniper.
“How are we gonna keep this a secret from the rest of the team?” he asked, brow furrowing with worry, “I mean, it’s not like I don’t wanna be with you, cause I think… I think I really do, y’know. But… what are we gonna do if we get found out?”
“I… well, I don’t think you’ve got too much to worry about, ‘roo. Everyone knows we’re friends already, chances are they might not notice us being anything more. If it’s any consolation, Medic knows already. He’s fine with it.”
“Medic? Is he… is he gay?”
“Oh, well uh, yeah, he is.”
“Hrm… that explains a lot, actually."

Sniper chuckled.

“Yeah, anyway, so, we won’t have to worry about him. I might ask him to see what the others’ opinions are. He’s a smart guy, I imagine he could ask around without raising suspicions.”
“And what about if it doesn’t work out? What if we gotta leave?”
Sniper sighed.

“In that case, well… we both have plenty of money saved up. I could go back to assassin work elsewhere. We’ll have options. Just know that I ain’t gonna leave you in the dust, no matter what.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll protect you too, Mick. Man, I didn’t think my life was gonna get so complicated so quickly!”
Sniper smiled softly.

“Ah, I know how you feel. Love can be a confusing thing, eh?”

“I think it’s worth it, though. I mean, it’s not like stuff’s gonna change that much, right? We’ll still be two guys who work for RED. Just with like, more kissing, I guess?”
Scout blushed a little. Sniper leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on his cheek, which only served to make his face redder.

“Yeah, I suppose so,” Sniper smiled.

Pyro soon returned with the ball, saying something about how it had taken them a while because they’d gotten distracted on the way. Of course, some things had changed. But Pyro was still the same old Pyro. The baseball in their hand was the same one as always, worn down and battered from years of use. And the man beside him was the same Scout he had fallen in love with.

The sun that bore down upon them was the same blazing New Mexico sun. But there was one light in Sniper and Scout’s lives that was even brighter – the ever-persistent glow of their love for each other.