Chapter Text
Time had passed. In truth a lot happens in a few months. But after fighting armies of robots and then finally being laid off with the Administrators death; he started to enjoy the people he was only just getting used to. He was now sat round a dinner table with Jeremy cheering and laughing bringing in a special sponsor that they all were very familiar with.
Spy had dropped his mask and though most had either indirectly complimented him before quickly moving on, there was one bit of attention that was making him look twice.
Sniper was taking sneaking peeks, when Spy wasn't looking, from the corner of his eye, a glance, an interest. Spy had spent the last few hours noticing his untamed gaze. So much so that now sat on the table he decided to test him.
There it was as expected Sniper looks up to steal a look only to freeze when Spy is staring quietly, foxy-eyed back. They stay there, everyone too busy to recognise the tension between the two.
Spy flashes a smile and Sniper becomes very aware that he left his hat on a coat hook.
Sniper kept his gaze down after that look, it was Spy telling him indirectly that he can see he’s acting like an idiot, but he didn’t get why he was smiling like that. ‘Mocking me’ Yeah that seems realistic.
They hadn’t seen each other for a few months, well; a few was a fib, it was more like a year and a half. Jeremy already had four tots scurrying around, oh… There's Spy’s mask on one of his kids' heads. Sniper folded his arms on each other at the brief chill that swept through the room.
Sniper had been doing what he did before, being a hitman. Going round all sorts of places for a bit of dosh. It was nice, he had been to all seven wonders, well, all but the eiffel tower. But the last time he had this many people to talk to was a month ago when he was stuck in a hospital waiting room with his thumb partly detached. Not his proudest moments he’ll admit.
What he was trying to get at! He hadn’t seen Spy since Mann.co; and now he shows up without his mask, and it only made him believe Spy more that he was a lady killer. After dinner he became aware he had his own following however.
Sniper had decided to swallow his ‘No starting conversation’ rules. He had approached Spy and he seemed more cheery than he remembered.
“Enjoyin’ this party?”
“I’ve been to worse parties, I suppose.”
“Let me guess, urm. Big fancy gala? You wrapped up in a suit that looks the same but with a different tag on the neck?” Sniper grinned as he expected Spy to twist in distaste and flutter his posh sleeves as he turned away like some uptight bird. But he just chuckled and sipped a glass to himself.
“Eyup. You’re more cheery than I remember. Finally find that stick in your arse?”
“Hmm. No, I'm still strict in my ways. Just… watered down?” He waved his wine towards him. “I must admit… I have had too much glass.” He giggled once again leaning over and patting Sniper's arm.
Sniper was lost for words, he only ever got to see that smile if he was laughing at the horrible way your corpse had crumpled after killing you 3 times in a row.
“I’m not complaining. But perhaps our Spy needs to lay off the grape juice for a bit-”
“Please, Mundy, call me-” They both are interrupted by two women approaching them. Yana the youngest sister to Heavy and Bronislava the second youngest. Both are still very strong and (age appropriate) women however. In all honesty Sniper would have never bloody known if they hadn't spoken first.
They both seemed giggly around the two men. Often looking at each other with a mischievous glint in their eyes.
“Merry Smissmass, ladies.” Spy smiled at their approach. Unlike Sniper; Spy knew exactly why they were approaching them both.
“Merry Smissmass, Spy.” Yana smiled at him and Bronislava simply waved with a toothy grin at Sniper.
Sniper isn't paying attention, he assumed the two women were there for Spy. He’d never been approached by other women, usually they wanted him to initiate. And Sniper didn't Initiate.
So it meant he was oblivious to Bronislava's interest.
When the girls eventually were dragged aside by their overly protective brother, Spy finally had his freedom and walked off, much to Sniper's dismay; he was about to tell him his name.
Spy had taken a moment to light a cigarette outside, the door opened beside him and he watched Jeremy walk into the cold with his coat on and Spy’s in tow. “For the cold?” He offers his coat over and Spy thanked him as he slipped it over his shoulders.
“This is a lovely get together you have here, Jeremy.”
“Can tell! Longest I’ve ever seen you smilin’” He smiles as he rubs his arms from the cold.
“Lovely family too.” Spy smiled, the smoke putting a buzz to that already tipsy feeling.
“What about you? You're a lady killer, right?” Scout fiddles with an old receipt from his pocket. “Got a lady waitin’ anywhere for you?”
Spy shrugged, “Non, I have been too busy.”
“Spyin’ I get ya!” Jeremy paused and his grin eventually was accompanied with a concerned look in his eyes. “Ya know, it wouldn’t hurt ta’ retire ya know. I mean, Think you, Snipes and Demo are the last ones with jobs but eh they're -well…”
“Younger?”
“No offence.” Jeremy smiled.
“Non, non. I understand, I simply have nothing else to do.”
“Don’t wanna find a lady?”
“I have had many and all have ended in bitter sweet sorrow.”
“Yeah yeah I feel that.” Jeremy pauses looking over all the snow men made in his garden from the huge family they all had become. “What about uh- a lil farm? I hear Miss Paulin’ went for that lifestyle.”
“She is a fine farmer! Her turkey was impressive. But you should know me by now, I’m not a fan of dirt under my nails.” Spy chuckled as he took a puff that coiled over his facial features.
“Uh…” Jeremy looks around.
He looks into the window and sees everyone gathered slightly, or at least focusing on something. Sniper seems to be their attention oddly. “Aha! Sniper!” Jeremy says suddenly, “You don’t wanna slow down, but workin’ till you drop ain’t no one's dream. So travelling!”
“I already travel for my job.”
“YEAHHH but! So does Sniper!” Jeremy is leaning toward him with an arrogant smirk like he just figured out the meaning of Spy’s life for him.
“I don’t follow, Jeremy.”
“Ugh okay! Listen! I was chattin’ to Sniper earlier; he mentioned that he is in a rocky spot with his job recently because people ain’t in a rifle’s reach all the time. Yeah?” Jeremy grins with a pause thinking Spy would finish his thought process but Spy just stared confused longer.
It wasn’t confusion, Spy had understood what Jeremy was suggesting, but to just invite himself to Sniper's work would be tricky. Sniper likes his job for the money, how would he take having to share it?
“You stick with Sniper! Work together? Travel the world killin’ people who need well- killin’?”
“I see your point.” Spy mumbles slightly looking at the lighter in his hand still.
“So think you’ll ask- WHA! They did it without me!” Jeremy scoffed looking through the window, Spy looks through with him out of curiosity and sees the mistletoe over Sniper's head held by Yana. Sniper is oblivious until commentary around him makes him look up at Yana in confusion. Just as he looked like he could explode, Bronislava is beside him taking a picture again. The two get closer by a breath and Spy turns back to his cigarette.
Jeremy turns back with him, “I hear he’s lonely. Yeah I know you assassin types prefer it that way, but I can’t imagine it’s nice on those long car drives or in the same hotel bed you’ve been hunkered down in waiting for your next assignment.”
‘Since when did this kid get so intelligent?’
Spy shrugged, “I’ll offer him to aid me in my job if you feel better, but I won’t push.” Jeremy bounced and nodded, “Hell yeah! Okay okay, you done? Cause if i put off opening presents any longer I think Pyro is gonna start a revolution in my living room.” Jeremy joked, causing Spy to chuckle the same as the two duck back into the warm happy home.
A few hours had gone by and everyone had settled down in the late afternoon, a smissmas movie on the telly keeping Pyro and the kids happy, while Heavy snored on the sofa with Medic in one arm and his mother in the other. Medic was leant forward playing with his baboon child trying to teach it how to say ‘craniotomy’.
Sniper was half nodding off on a chair in the dining room, he swore he was awake but his eyes had been closed for ten minutes straight now, that man was on the brink of deep sleep, via food coma.
Demoman and his mother had started getting ready to leave and were arguing with his sword on the difference between traditional colour combos for Smissmas.
Spy had stepped outside claiming he had a call he had to take, so Jeremy took his chances.
Sniper’s eyes are shut and his chin against the wooly chest of his jumper. He only just let a slight nazal snore leave when the stool he had his feet resting on was pulled on from under his boots. “Wha.. eh.. Scout.”
“So what did you say?”
“Wha?” Sniper didn’t bother correcting his posture, there's a few beer bottles in front of him one half drank. Sniper dared to close his eyes again.
“Did you accept Spy’s offer?”
“No.” He grumbled, a quiet moment passed and Sniper looked up confused, “Wait what offer?”
“Spy hasn’t come to you with anything he needed to ask you?”
A voice calls from the hall, “Everyone, I need to go, This was a lovely meeting, I’ll see you all sooner rather than later, Oui?”
“Duty calls, Spy?” Medics voice answers.
“When isn't it?” He chuckled and suddenly the door shut.
Jeremy sighed and slumped in his seat, “Damn!”
“Good old fashioned Spy exit.” Sniper chuckled as he lay back in his seat.
“Yeah well… he had something to ask ya- Suppose he didn’t get time.” Scout huffed as he stood. “I should start putting the kids to bed.”
“Well I’ll get outa ya hair then.”
“Alright then.” Scout smiled and offered a hug as a farewell gift.
Sniper accepts, cause… what the hell!? When was he going to see him again? Jeremy pats his back as he pulls away, “See you later, Snipes.”
“Yeah, provided I don’t croak it before next Smissmas.” He joked, so why did it just feel more unsettling?
Spy sits at the bus station, few people are here, and even fewer buses considering the holiday. Spy fumbles his gloved hands in his pocket and to his surprise he finds a letter, small enough to fit in his hand. He opened it and noticed the various amounts of crayon on the note.
“Jeremy?” He questioned.
He opened the note and began to read in his head:
Merry Smissmas, Spy.
Now listen, I know you ain’t a fan of gifts, but It doesn't really count as one if you deserve these. Throughout the day I made sure everyone put down their mobile numbers on the back of this paper. If you ever need company, don’t think you can’t reach us.
From, Jeremy and the kids.
Spy flipped the note, and sure enough it was a neat list of mobile numbers. All in a column. However… he was certain Soldier’s number wasn’t based in England. Silly man. But that only made it more of a smile for him.
Each of the numbers either had a smile or heart beside them. All in different hand writing, it was thoughtful, there was only one with an actual note beside it.
Mick- 0XXXX XXXXXX (Boom Headshot!)
Spy smirked, so cheesy…
Spy had sat near the front of his bus, the cold outside battling to get through the windows, made his window fog up. He originally didn’t care until he got bored and decided to wipe the window clear. They were driving slowly, eventually coming to a stop at a red light, a gaudy van was beside him with bullet looking dents in its side. It reminded him of someone…
Sniper hadn’t driven long, but he was starting to feel tired. He soon came to a red light on a quiet road, half asleep he started to drift a little on his steering wheel. He started to think to himself, ‘Day’s are getting longer the more alone he gets. His employers hadn’t rang him for a job for a while and he had to start hunting for food and pick pocketting any unfortunate soul who stood too close to him. It’s not that his job didn’t pay well, goodness he could buy a new van with half the money he got.
But he hadn’t been given a job for a while, and petrol was expensive, not to mention the hotel’s he had to sleep in when it was winter. It was far too cold to be in the van. He’d go back to his cabin his parents left to him, but last time he was there a few dingos had fought him for it after leaving a window open.
“Crikey…” He groaned, realising he was going back to that lonely, speaking to himself lifestyle.
Suddenly, a knock on his window made him leap. He swung his head to look out his window seeing the light go from orange to red, ‘He was about to get bellowed at by whoever was in the car behind him’. But he looked out and instead felt his heart skip a beat. He rolls the window down, “Spoi?!”
“Sniper...” Spy smiled looking up through his window.
“What are- how did you-”
“That was my bus…” Spy points to the bus that was driving off down the road.
“It’s dark, come on. Get in!” Sniper said, He rolls his window up and watches as Spy moves round the front of his van and to the side door.
‘Okay, don’t freak out. He ain’t blue. This is fine… He ain’t blue right?’
Sniper looks a little spooked as he looks to Spy who now buckled into the passenger seat. “The light’s green.” He smiled.
“Uh.. yeah yeah.”
Luckily there were no cars behind him.
“Why did you get off your bus?!”
“I saw your number plate…” Spy doesn’t look toward Sniper either. It’s clear the two feel both confused and awkward.
“You uh. Said you had a job. Why did it get cancelled?” Sniper asked as he drove with his satnav on.
“About that. Jeremy told me you were looking for more work? And well…” Spy sighed, taking his gloves off and rubbing his hands against the heater vents of Sniper's car. “I wondered if you would come with me?”
“Uh, I’m not exactly the master of espionage, mate.”
“You don’t need to be, I need your aim, and your brawn." Spy’s voice was like butter on velvet. Soft, quiet, delightfully unique. It made Snipers nerves settle when he talked to him and he wasn’t taking the piss.
“You want me to be your body guard?” Sniper questioned.
“Just like when we were in Australia all those months ago? You prove you can keep me safe. And it would be easier with a plus one in some locations to not draw attention to myself maybe?”
“Are you sure?” Sniper’s grip tightened on the wheel.
“I can train you myself in some arts of deception… maybe you're more concerned about salary? I’d halve my winnings to you.” Spy offered. “But it’s up to you.”
“Where to then?” Sniper grinned over his shoulder.
Spy sat straight amazed, “You accept? You want to be my partner?” He asked.
Sniper shrugged, “Not got much else going on. And… I could use the company.”
“I could use the transport…” Spy hummed.
“Match made in- uh..” Sniper cleared his throat with a red burn on the back of his neck. “Yeah yeah…”
Sniper soon pulls over on the side of the road, “So uh. I was hoping we could sleep before carrying on?” Sniper asked as he opened his door. Spy is quick to follow.
The two get to the vans back door and Sniper unlocks it quickly before hunching over to get through the door. Spy shortly followed and looked at the same van, only more cozy.
“Sorry, still as cramped as it was way back whenever.”
“It’s fine.” Spy walked in and sat himself at the table to give Sniper more space.
“Pass me that heater next to ya.” Sniper points to an old little box and Sniper begins to fiddle with it. After about ten minutes of mumbled cursing Sniper huffs.
“I really need a new one of these…”
“The job is after a target, rumoured to have caused Mann. co a lot of trouble way back in the day.”
“You still work for them? I thought they were gone since, Administrators death?”
“Yes the main job’s where, but Miss Pauling needed me to help cover it all up. About a month ago, some important evidence surfaced, faces of people who are trying to recreate the respawn machines for their own purpose.” Spy began.
“Thought that Australium was all gone? Chucked it down a trench or somethin’?”
“Yes but that doesn’t mean it can’t be reached. We need some files that “Mysteriously” went missing a while back. We think there's someone who may have those files waiting for the highest bidder.”
Sniper sat back, his head leaning against the cabinet, “Any clue to who?”
“Plenty, but all are either already dead or…”
“Don’t exist, Crikey, sounds like a tough one to crack. Who’s this one we are nabbing now then?”
“A woman named Alsaythia Mirrors.”
Sniper stood and sat beside Spy as he pulled some files out onto his table and began giving him more visuals. “Sounds like a fake name…”
“I suspect so too.”
Sniper looked over the files and recognised how close their faces were too late as Spy was staring at him with softer than expected eyes.
“I’m glad to have another mind with me.” Spy simply said and Sniper gulped.
“Ah- yeah. Like yer company too, mate.”
Spy smiled to himself, looking at Sniper through the corner of his own eye lids. Spy leant over collecting the files back into his binder. “Another mind, makes me feel like I’m thinking clearly, makes me know I’m not telling myself what I want to hear and I actually make sense.” Spy grinned with a mischievous glint in his eye, Sniper froze on the spot not expecting him to act so… gently.
“I uh, appreciate. Having someone to talk to. I deal fine on my own but uh… heh” He laughed awkwardly and turned away. But a cool hand rests on him, making him look back.
“It gets tiring.” Spy asked running a finger tip lightly in a circle round Sniper's knuckle. They are heart-leapingly close, Sniper's head was swirling with what he was witnessing. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand until Spy stopped edging closer, an inch closer and their chests could meet. He wanted that, the electric feeling of someone so close to him. Spy smirked loving the effect he had on the cherry red aussie right now.
“Mon Sniper? May I ask?” Spy waits his lips so close Sniper could already taste the tobacco and wine mix.
“Uh.. uh yeah.” Sniper’s eyes were quickly glancing between his wine stained lips and frosty blue eyes.
“What will our sleeping arrangements be like?”
“Well it’s gonna be cold tonight, we could keep warmer if we are in my- uhm… bed?” Sniper felt like he was either snap and kiss the man, or explode before he could.
“Taking me to bed so soon, hm?” Spy raised his brow and Sniper quickly stood up feeling heat begin to pool a little too comfortably in his stomach.
“Do you uh, want the wall side or the edge?” Sniper asked as he began to fiddle with his blanket to keep himself distracted and turned, Sniper wouldn't be able to live down having a boner over a guy simply sitting close. He was acting like a bloody virgin. Sniper wasn’t, he had plenty of experience with women and men alike in clubs and his own van. But Spy hit differently, maybe it was the past they had, but seeing him so close when he usually complained about every little thing with Sniper, it threw him off.
They both had quietly gotten comfortable enough to finally climb in bed, Sniper was up against the wall, not his most favourite side, he liked to sprawl and starfish in bed and it often meant a limb or two dangling over the edge. Sniper bit his lip as he swallowed his nervousness and turned over to face Spy. Spy was facing away until Sniper spoke.
“What’s your name?” He simply said, “You were gonna tell me earlier, and we were interrupted.”
Spy turned over and regretted it as Sniper had made the blanket pull up a bit and let the cold air in. “Uh, Jean.”
“John?”
“Non, Jjjj-ean! Jean!” Spy corrected before falling silent.
Sniper acted on impulse alone, bending down with a palm against Spy’s cheek, and pressing a brief but sure kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Mick… My name is Mick.”
“I know, mon cher.” Spy hummed, as he lifted up to meet his lips again.
The two began to roll around in bed, the blanket getting caught between tangling limbs, vests and shirts being tugged up so a hand could caress skin on a hip or stomach. All the while Spy controlled a kiss that made Sniper’s breath leap from his lungs. Kisses soon turn into French kissing and Sniper found it oddly comical, French kissing a Frenchman. But the kissing then spilled from his lips and Spy's lips began to trail down Sniper's jaw, once on his neck Sniper bit his lip to force the ticklish sensation to swell where Spy was sucking on his neck.
The night was filled with gasps and greedy kissing sessions, but to Spy’s gentleman code, they didn’t go further than hips up body worship.
The morning was cold outside the blanket, the two, now shirtless men were comfortably warm in each other's arms. When they did stir awake, Sniper groaned as Spy attempted to shake him awake.
“Ten more minutes…” Sniper hummed as he forcefully tucked Spy back into a snare of a hug. He wasn’t escaping even if he tried.
“I’ll break you out of this bad habit.” Spy scoffed as he huddled closer.
“I’ll make you cave.” Sniper mumbled.
