Chapter Text
Scout took, as Medic had predicted, two more days to fully recover. The first thing he did when he was cleared was sprint through the base. He burst through the doors of the Medical room into the waiting room. He breathed in air that was for once, not filled with the scent of cotton balls and chemicals. The wind danced through Scout’s hair as he ran to Engineer’s workshop.
“Engie! Guess whose out!” Scout beamed as he pushed open the heavy metal doors.
He jumped to his left when a large missile was fired at him and looked fearfully at Engineer who quickly turned off the turret.
“Sorry kiddo! Haven’t got this one ta separate us REDs from BLUs yet. Haha!” Engineer chuckled trying to ease Scout’s fear
“S’all right, but c’mon man I just got out of the Doc’s prison. You tryna put me back already?”
Engineer shook his head and laughed to himself before he turned his full attention to Scout.
“You look chipper, son. Got any plans now that you’re out?” Engineer asked.
“I don’t know, Engie, I haven't really thought about that. Probably gonna go on a run an’ visit the rest of the guys.”
Engie nodded at patted Scout on the back.
“Heheh, you and runnin’. You’d think with how many laps you take around the base you would tire yourself out and yet, you never do.”
Scout laughed and waved before exiting the warehouse and making his way into the lounge area.
“Guys! I’m alive!” Scout cheerfully said when he entered.
The sight before him was incredibly boring. Demoman was drunkenly passed out in a corner with Soldier watching over him, it seemed Pyro had convinced Spy to play against him in chess, and Spy, underestimating their intelligence, was losing horribly. Heavy sat at a comically small table eating a sandwich, Scout decided to stroll over to him and sit on the counter nearby.
“You people miss me?” Scout said smugly.
“Of course not, it has been wonderfully silent.” Spy said before groaning in annoyance as Pyro took his king.
“Ouch, I’ve got feelin’s y’know.” Scout crossed his arms over his chest and looked dejectedly at the ground.
Spy looked over at the pouting mercenary and his face softened.
“Heavy missed you, Scout. It was too quiet and there was no one to hang out with.” Heavy attempted to whisper to Scout. His naturally loud voice gave him away, however.
Demoman burped out slurred words in jumbled sentences seemingly replying to Heavy. The room was silent when Scout didn’t say anything. He instead got up and wandered out of the room. He walked into a broad hallway that had rows of doors on either wall. Each door had engraved gold-colored name tags on them. Not the mercenaries' actual names just their roles, Scout didn’t need to look at the tags to know which was which.
“Pyro. Engineer. Demo. Spy. Sni-” Scout paused his listing and looked at the door that led to what was supposed to be Sniper’s room.
Everyone was assigned rooms but Sniper was the only one who didn’t sleep in his. He chose his campervan that he fought to even have on the base grounds. Scout wrapped his hand around the doorknob and the door clicked open.
It was a small room and the bedroom furniture was scooted into one corner. In the middle of the room were too large armchairs, a small round end table, and a burnt-out fireplace. The scent of hundreds of cigarettes clung to every surface. Scout identified the scent to be Spy’s usual, expensive, fancy cigarettes. He looked at the fireplace and noticed a carton on the fireplace’s mantle. He grabbed the package and opened it to see a few cigarettes left inside. On the end table behind him was a lighter. Scout grabbed the lighter and bent over the burnt wood that rested in the fireplace. He flicked it a few times before a flame burst out of it. He held the lighter under the wood and burned himself while trying to start a fire. Embers burned from the wood and flames began to form. He released the lighter’s trigger and looked at his black, burned thumb. Scout clicked his tongue before wiping his thumb on his pant leg. He then looked at the carton of cigarettes he was still holding, took one out, and lit it. He collapsed into the armchair to the left of the door and leaned his head back. He listened to all the things he heard; Crickets that chirped loudly from outside, the crackling of the fireplace, and his thoughts.
His thoughts. They yelled at him. Awful, terrible things. He didn’t notice his breathing getting rougher as he focused on the rambling in his mind. He opened his eyes in panic, the chaos of his brain too much to bear. He swiped the white lighter on the table next to him and held it shakily. He flicked the striker a few times and finally got the lighter to ignite. He held it under his fingertips and eventually pressed the root of the flame against his tanned skin. It burned and of course, hurt like hell, but that was exactly what Scout was hoping for. His thoughts cleared as he focused on the heat against his fingers. He turned the lighter off and set it back down on the table before he closed his eyes again. He was tired, no, exausted. Yet, all he had done recently was rest.
Click.
Scout kept his eyes closed, ignoring whoever decided to come in. To be fair he didn’t even know if it was the room's owner being that technically the room belonged to Sniper, but he assumed Spy had been the one making use of it.
“What are you doing in here?” Spy grumbled.
“Just hangin’ out, what this isn’t technically yours anyway. May as well let everyone in.”
“Ze Sniper did not want it now it is mine, and get that out of your mouth!” Spy had walked up behind Scout and glared at him before snatching the cigarette out of Scout’s mouth and putting it out on the ashtray on the table.
“Aw come on man! What gives!” Scout crossed his arms.
“It iz bad for your health, I for one should know that.” Spy sat in the armchair to Scout’s left.
“Since when have you cared about me let alone my health.”
“Look, I am sorry for what I said earlier I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”
Scout said nothing. Spy looked at him with a soft expression, it quickly changed to concern when he noticed Scout’s black fingers.
“What happened?” Spy said as he grabbed Scout’s wrist.
“Ow! What da hell man! It’s nothing!” Scout yanked his hand away.
“Did you burn yourself? It shouldn’t be this bad.”
“Mind your business Spy.”
“Did you do it on purpose? If it was an accident it should only be on your thumb,”
“Spy! I said mind your fuckin’ business!” Scout abruptly stood up from the armchair, nearly knocking it over in the process.
Spy looked up at Scout with genuine concern. In turn, Scout looked down at Spy in anger.
“Look, I just… I don’t wanna talk about it. Especially not with you. I mean hell we’re like enemies even though we’re on the same fuckin’ team. I’m annoying and mean to you, and you’re the same to me, it's just our thing. I don’t know what’s going on lately but you’re messing up the dynamic by suddenly carin’ about me.” Scout explained.
“I know I’m not ze nicest to you but I don’t mean for you to hate me. I’ve always been kind of caring about you in the background.” Spy sighed and rubbed his temples
“What?”
“When you’re on ze battlefield and someone tries to sneak attack you, I usually backstab zhem before zhey have ze chance. I’ve killed BLU Snipers before they can shoot you, I was worried sick when you got stabbed last week.”
“Why do you care?” Scout looked at Spy with pure confusion.
“Scout… Sit down I have something important to tell you.” Spy covered his eyes with his hands.
Reluctantly, Scout leaned back in the armchair and looked at Spy expectantly.
“Ugh, do not stare at me like zat!” Spy stressed.
“What do ya want me to do?! You’re makin’ this seem pretty important!” Scout stated.
“Okay fine! Uhm, Scout how do you feel about your- No I don’t want to know. How should I put zhis?”
The confusion that Scout expressed grew more extreme with each sentence Spy got out.
“I’ll be blunt. Scout I care about you because… Because I am your father.”
“What.”
“I’m-”
“I fucking heard what you said.” Scout clenched his hair in his hands.
“Scout… son I-”
“No! No, what we’re not gonna do is that. My whole life! My whole fucking life I’ve wished you were around. Sure you left when I was seven but it's not like you were around much for those seven years. So you leave us and now that you’re back you want me to just accept that?” Scout was now standing. “ Fuck you buddy. That’s the last thing that’s gonna happen.”
As Spy expected Scout did not take it well. Scout ran out, slammed the door shut, and left Spy alone in the fire-lit smoke room. Scout didn’t want to be alone with this knowledge, he knew if he hid in his room he would get worse, but he didn’t know who to go to.
“Sniper.” Scout decided.
He walked out of the base and trudged his way to the camper van. He thought about what he would say. Hey! Do you know the one guy on this team that hates me the most? Here’s a shocker, he’s my father! He thought. Every word he spat out in his mind made him feel worse.
Knock, Knock, Knock.
“Who is it?” Sniper grumbled from inside the camper.
“It’s me, Snipes.” Scout said just loud enough for Sniper to hear muffled through the door.
There was rustling inside the van, and it rocked slightly. The door gently opened.
“Scout? Mate, you awright? You knocked differently.” Sniper asked.
“Can I come in?” Scout said quietly.
Sniper opened the door wide enough for Scout to walk in. Scout didn’t even think twice as he walked over to the mini fridge he knew had alcohol in it. Before Sniper could intervene Scout was gulping down a beer.
“Roo? What’s wrong?” Sniper again asked.
“Guh,” Scout exhaled deeply after chugging most of the beer. “Well, Spy is my fucking father. ”
Sniper’s eyes went wide. He didn’t want to admit he already knew, to be fair he had no idea what to say; so he stayed silent.
“Hehe, yeah an’ he figured out I hurt myself on purpose!” Scout took another beer from the fridge and began to down it.
“You what?” Sniper looked extremely concerned.
“Not often just sometimes, s’nothin’ to worry about!”
Sniper looked at Scout’s hand that was holding the beer, the fingers were burned black.
“Ugh! He suddenly wants to start carin’ about me as if he didn’t fuckin’ leave me.” Scout ranted as he grabbed a third beer.
“Mate, I think you should stop,” Sniper warned, holding his hands out to Scout.
“What? Aww, come on man! Wouldn’t you rather me do this here? I mean if I’m not doin’ it here I’m just gonna do it in the lounge around everyone else. I feel… I feel safer around you.”
“I’m glad you feel safe around me Roo, but you shouldn’t drink like that while you’re this upset it’s-”
“Don't try to tell me how to handle this. I’m just doing what I know how to do.”
“Drink yourself to death?!”
Scout looked guiltily at Sniper with big sad eyes. He collapsed into the couch next to the mini fridge, set down the almost empty beer on it, and put his hands over his eyes; attempting to rub away tears that began to form. Sniper stood in front of Scout cautiously. He’d never seen anyone like this before, let alone someone like Scout, he had no idea what to do. Scout; the usually cheerful, confident, smug little guy who never seemed to be bothered by anyone; was now showing all of his vulnerabilities to Sniper. Sniper sighed and shuffled over to the couch. He waited a moment before he sat down next to Scout, who had given up on not crying. He was shaking like the ground during an earthquake and when he began to loudly sob, Sniper felt every whimper tug at his heart.
“Do you want a hug, Roo?” Sniper asked and held his arms out.
Scout couldn’t even answer through his choked sobs, he practically threw himself into Sniper who took him comfortingly and wrapped his lanky arms around him like a blanket. Scout let everything out, every horrible feeling he had since the absence of his father. The two sat as the air weighed heavily around them. Scout quivered and cried in Sniper’s comfortable grasp and for once felt like he could be vulnerable. The clock on the wall near them clicked rhythmically as Scout slowly grew quieter. Eventually, he ceased crying altogether. The silence was comfortable and Sniper allowed it to stay that way until Scout wanted to talk again.
Scout’s head felt fuzzy, his body buzzed like a washer that’s cycle was coming to an end, and his stomach hurt. He thought about the day and realized that he hadn’t eaten anything in a while. Did he even eat when he was in the infirmary?
Grrrroowwl.
Scout was going to ignore how much his stomach hurt until it sounded like an alarm and gave him away to Sniper.
“You hungry?” Sniper asked, looking down sweetly at Scout who still rested in his arms.
“Maybe, just a little bit,” Scout admitted.
Scout separated from Sniper, stood up, and stretched. His bones cracked like clay and joints noisily popped. Sniper stretched like a cat on the sofa and then stood next to Scout.
“What time is it?” Scout asked and rubbed his eyes.
“Eh, it's about one in the morning” Sniper answered as he squinted at the clock on the wall in front of them.
“You need glasses, Stretch?”
“Probably.”
The two laughed. Scout turned around to grab the practically empty beer he left on the mini-fridge.
“What are you doing?” Sniper asked with an eyebrow cocked.
“Can’t let the rest of it go to waste,” Scout chuckled and raised the mouth of the bottle to his lips.
“Then I’ll finish it,” Sniper stated and grabbed the bottle from Scout, quickly downing what was left in it.
“You act like I drank I ton! I only had like three!” Scout held up two fingers and quickly switched to three.
“Sure you only had three, but you had them one after another, and judging by the growl your stomach made, you haven’t eaten in a while.” Sniper chuckled.
Scout crossed his arms over his chest and pouted. Sniper laughed and ruffled the shorter mercenary’s hair before he grabbed his hat and sunglasses.
“It's the middle of the night! Why are you puttin’ on shades?” Scout teased.
“The lights in tha base are too bright, makes my head hurt” Sniper answered honestly.
“Oh, that’s fair I guess.”
Scout threw the bottle he was holding into a trashcan by the door. The two walked to the base in comfortable silence, Scout walking particularly close to Sniper. This time, Sniper reached the door first and pulled it open, and held it like that for Scout to walk in. They walked into the dark lounge, Scout led the way since his eyes had already adjusted to the darkness. He flicked on the light and went into the kitchen that was separated by an arch, he turned the light on in there as well. The fluorescent lights kicked on and Scout listened to them buzz while Sniper rifled through the fridge. While he was listening to the sounds of the quiet base, he heard what sounded like the clicking of heels approaching the two.
“You hear sum, Shades?” Scout asked.
“I wasn’t paying attention, mate,” Sniper said truthfully.
Scout got up and wandered out of the kitchen. In the lounge room, he felt eyes on him. Sniper continued to rummage around the refrigerator and eventually found something to make the two. He clicked a few buttons on the oven, pulled out a tray, and began arranging chicken nuggets on it. Scout stuck his head out into the hallway, looking down both sides and squinting at the shadows trying to make out if a person was there.
“What are you doing up so late, Mon fils?” Spy said from behind Scout.
Scout screamed and quickly threw his hands over his mouth to shut him up.
“You scared the shit outta me, Spy! Wait, hey! What did I say about calling me son!” Scout growled.
“Ah, my apologies I wasn’t aware you knew french.” Spy said.
“Of course I do, Ma taught us, maybe if you were around you would know that.” Scout verbally stabbed Spy.
“You awright, Roo? Careful screaming this late,” Sniper poked his head out of the kitchen archway and spoke.
Spy glared at the bushman but kept what he had to say to himself. He looked back at Scout.
“I get it, I was not around much and you hate me for zhat but please, give me a break it's not like I chose to abandon you all!”
“I’m not talking about this right now!” Scout groaned.
“We will have to talk about this eventually Scout! Stop running away like a child.”
Sniper scrunched up, feeling pitiful for Spy and the yelling at he was about to get, yet he stayed silent.
“Wow! Okay yeah, sure call me a child you think I care? I’m not running away jerk! I just found out that the person I hate most is my co-worker and also the co-worker who is the worst to me! Maybe give me a minute to process and stop tryin’ ta spring everything on my at once?!” Scout was yelling now.
“Mate, I get that you’re upset. You’re allowed to be upset but I just want to remind you it’s two in tha mornin’.” Sniper tried to calm Scout down.
“It’s fine I’m done talking to this wad, come get me when food’s done.” Scout stormed away to his bedroom and slammed the door behind him. The metal sign he had hung on his door scraped against the wood and fell off the tack, it clattered loudly against the floor.
“Spook. I get that you’re relieved he finally knows but you really do have to give him time-” Sniper began
“Do not tell me how to talk to my son, he is being childish, he needs to be an adult and talk to me.” Spy spat out
“If you know him so well you better than anyone should know he needs time to process. Hell, anyone would in this situation!” Sniper was now standing in front of Spy.
“Tsk, Of course, but he can still talk to me-” Spy was cut off.
“I just watched him come into my van, chug three beers, and cry for about an hour. He is in no place to talk about anything right now!”
“He what!? You just sat there and watched.” Spy’s emotions got the better of him and he shoved Sniper.
“Keep your hands off me Spy. I didn’t just sit there I of bloody course tried to stop him!” Sniper caught himself on the couch against the wall behind him.
Spy glared daggers at Sniper, who in turn scowled at him. The two stood ready for the other one to make the first move and trigger a fight. Neither of them did, however. Sniper tensed when Spy calmly walked past him into the hallway.
“ What ze hell!” Spy yelled.
Sniper quickly darted out into the hallway, assuming something happened to Scout. He was instead greeted by Medic, Heavy, Engineer, Pyro, and Soldier leaning against the wall.
“Were you listening the whole time!” Sniper assumed.
“Oops!” Medic shrugged.
“We heard yelling, wanted to make sure no one was dying!” Engineer explained.
“Mmph!” Pyro mumbled in a tone of agreement.
Spy rubbed his temples and shoved past the mercenaries, quickly diving into his smoke room. Sniper sighed, relaxed now that the threat of him and Spy fighting had passed.
“Well, what happened?” Soldier asked.
“Not my place to tell.” Sniper said as he heard the oven ding. He shuffled past the group and went down the hallway to Scout’s room.