Chapter Text
Spy, Heavy and Soldier walked off. Demoman had been long asleep on the couch, snoring softly. Pryo had left to his room sometime before hitting midnight. Sniper and Medic had left earlier when their round of chess ended with Sniper winning.
Most of the lights were shut off, the only light left was the fluorescent light hanging on top of the poker table.
Now the rec room was left with Engineer and Scout sitting at the poker table.
“Hey Scout? You doin’ alright? You’re getting shakes.” Engineer finally noticed how Scout’s hand was shivering.
Scout bit the underside of his lip, refusing to speak. His breathing was getting harder, he felt as if his lungs or heart could explode from the stress and tension he caused himself.
Engineer, having no idea what to do resorted to just stroking the boy’s back. As if it were working, Scout started to calm down a little.
“Engie, I wanna ask ya somethin’.”
“Yeah Scout?”
“How’d cha do it?”
“Do what?”
Engineer was confused. He hadn’t comforted anyone in a long while, he didn’t know what Scout wanted nor what he could do to help.
“How are you always so smart? Like- How don’t cha’ freeze when you don’t know an answer to something?”
Ah. That’s what he wanted to know.
“Well, I learn. Trail and error is important to the learning progress. If cha’ can’t stand to lose or don’t wanna see what happens if you try a different way, you aren’t learning you’re just following instructions.”
Knowing how much it eased the boy earlier, Engineer didn’t stop stroking Scout’s back.
“No, ain’t the case. I’ve never been good at learning. I could barely focus on things, I’m clumsy, I’m not smart and look at me Engie, I’ve been watching you play for who knows how long and I still don’t get the gist of poker or whatever type you were playing.”
Engineer shook his head. He pulled Scout closer with another arm, their chairs were now facing each other.
“Oh it ain’t like that.”
“It’s exactly like that.”
“But you can’t help yourself? Right?”
Now they were much closer than before. Scout was hunching his whole body on Engineer, weak hands giving the older man a somewhat hug. Some unnoticeable tears leaked down Scout’s eyes. Scout was used to ‘silent crying’, he was barely sobbing.
Engineer on the other hand, had two firm arms on Scout’s back. His left hand was still stroking Scout’s back, the left hand was left to carcass the neck and hair in a pattern with the other hand. Anyone with a right sense of mind or a guy with eleven PhDs would know that Scout’s crying.
“I’ll tell you what, you sure can be a crybaby sometimes.”
“When I’m sober I’m gonna wack you up with my baseball bat for sayin’ that.”
“Mhm.”
It wasn’t long till Scout fully plopped onto Engineer’s laps. Scout was taller than Engineer, but not heavier. The runner was now in front of Engineer, Engie’s arms were wrapped around Scout’s waist and chest.
“So, did Spy scared ya senseless when he screamed like a loony? Or is this just how you feel when you lose a game of poker drunk.”
Engineer’s head was lucky enough to be put over Scout’s shoulder to get a better view of the boy’s face and body.
“Spy wasn’t the only guy who pissed me off.”
“Who else then?”
“Medic, maybe Spy, and you too sorta."
Engineer never knew if he was the luckiest man in the world or was he doomed by Scout’s utmost pure innocence when he’s with him.
“How did I scare ya? Was I too good at poker?”
Engineer planted small kisses onto Scout’s neck. Scout of course accepted the generous kisses, leaning his head to the left to allow Engineer to have better access to his neck.
“You were winning, that’s all.”
Scout use his right hand to caress Engineer’s hair. There were enough for it to run smoothly through his hand.
“I’ll teach ya how to play poker better if ya want.”
Engineer stop kissing Scout, instead he returned to just hugging him.
“Nah, I still gotta learn chess with Sniper and Medic. Just so I can play a round with ya as soon as I become a master at it.” Scout leaned back more, allowing him to relax more.
“Mhm.”
They were usually like this. But it was never anywhere near the rec room. Or anywhere other than their own rooms and occasionally the workshop. Besides that, it was always the other way around with Engineer being the one who needed the comforting. But they both didn’t mind, they both liked it.
Both wanted to stay like this for a little longer. No wait that’s wrong—they wanted to stay like this forever.
But hey, it’s only a game of Texas hold ‘em.