Chapter Text
Sniper felt his heart pounding, began to feel a little lightheaded. Medic had been right; that blade had been sitting in its sheath for a long time, years before Sniper had brought it home with him, more than likely. In his capable hands. He swallowed. Medic knew he’d been putting it off. Chose to notice it, and remember it. Do something about it. “Dovey,” the bushman finally managed, his eyes focusing on the knot of Medic’s tie, sometimes darting up to the doctor’s nose, but not the eyes. He couldn’t give him his eyes right now. “Sorry,” he muttered, referring to the eye contact.
“Darling krokodil… you needn’t be sorry! There are plenty of places on me that I encourage you to direct your focus,” Medic tittered, knowing that sometimes a joke helped Sniper over the emotional speed bump that these kinds of things gave him. He gently reached up and cupped the bushman’s cheeks in his palms, his fingers lacing together at the back of his neck and tipping his head down, pressing a soft kiss to Sniper’s hairline. He felt Sniper’s fingers at his lower back again, fooling with the bottom edge of his waistcoat. He was okay. Just needed a minute.
“Don’t have fancy words or exclamations,” he tried again, licking his lips and swallowing as he trained his eyes on how both of their bellies were pressed together, the colors of their shirts matching one another quite nicely. Medic had picked out this shirt for him, actually. A dark brown satin one; soft on the inside, the dark color complimenting his tanned skin and brown eyes. He’d picked it out just for him. ‘Not too dressy for you, but just enough so that perhaps you won’t be so nervous about what to wear when all of us go out!’ He’d teased. Medic noticed things about Sniper, things that had the bushman emotionally hung-up for years, and just… did things about it. Solved it best as he could in a way that was quick to the point. That was what he’d loved about Medic, about their relationship. The doctor never skipped a beat.
“Love you, Ludwig. I do,” Sniper blurted, the confession coming out just as easily as it had when he’d first said it. “An’ these are perfect, better than anything I could’ve ever asked for.” He continued, squeezing the doctor’s biceps in his own rough hands as his eyes finally met Medic’s own. Medic’s eyes were soft, softer than he’d ever seen them in his years of knowing him. Warmth grown between glacial paths within his ice blue irises, and it was all for him. He basked in it, curled up and stretched out, feeling the heat creeping through his bones.
“I know, Michel. You know I do, too.” Medic replied, his fingers twirling and nestling themselves within the shaggy hair at the back of Sniper’s head, making the bushman’s eyes flutter. God, he’d never get tired of that. “Na, na, I know that look,” Medic chuckled warmly, watching in delight as Sniper’s face lit up red, having been caught desiring the doctor so openly. Sniper could only let out a low purr, craning his neck and burying his face in the crook of the other mercenary’s neck, finding sanctuary in the clean-shaven expanse of his skin just below his jawline. “I’m glad you enjoyed everything. I must admit I fear you’ve far outdone me,” he admitted with a soft laugh, though the insecurity was clear in his tone of voice. Sniper abruptly pulled himself from Medic’s neck, meeting his eyes with a confused frown.
“Outdone you? S’not a competition, you-” Sniper laughed, shaking his head and looking up at the ceiling of his van, putting his hands on his own hips. He didn’t finish the insult. Medic smiled at him cheekily, nodding his head as though in defiance.
“It absolutely is! I have to prove that I love you more than you love me !” He tittered, wrinkling his nose and laughing. “I can’t have you beating me at being in love when I am in love with you most . There’s actual science to it!” He protested, snorting with laughter as Sniper reached up and grabbed his nose between his thumb and the side of his pointer finger and giving it a gentle waggle.
“ Science behind it?! I’ll believe that when I see it, buggerlugs !” Sniper mocked with a laugh, smirking at his lover as though to challenge him. Science behind it. What a load of-
“Oh, ja? Then feast your eyes, dummkopf !” Medic licked his own thumb and index finger and reached forward, giving Sniper’s shirt a soft tug in just the right way , gracefully undoing the next three buttons on his shirt, nearly exposing his breasts in the process. Sniper let out a shocked yelp followed by a loud gasp. He looked at Medic with his mouth hung agape, watching as Medic pressed the pad of his pointer finger against the middle of the y-shaped scar. “Proof.” He said smugly, looking at Sniper with a playful sneer. “I win!”
Sniper looked down at his own chest where Medic’s finger was pressed against his skin. “Like hell you do!” He shot back, “How’m I supposed to compete with you revivin’ me? That’s a dodgy technicality!” The bushman teased, the two of them laughing while Medic hummed with a smirk.
“You can’t. Isn’t it wonderful?! That means I win !” He cackled, firmly planting his palms against Sniper’s chest with a hollow thud sound. “And I’ll take my prize now.” He announced, enjoying the raised eyebrow that the sharpshooter wore before Medic lifted him up, the slightly-taller mercenary kicking his long legs as though he could get his bearings while the doctor had him nearly flung over his shoulder.
“Your prize?! ” Sniper guffawed through hoarse laughs, grunting softly as Medic tossed him down into the small booth in his camper and looked down at him with a smirk that made the bushman’s heart pound.
“Ja, my prize .” He said cheekily, looming over him and grinning fondly. Sniper was breathing hard through his nose, trying to catch his breath from the surprise of being manhandled while fluster ate him alive. He knew Medic was strong of course, but the doctor always kept him guessing about when he could expect his lover’s… displays of strength.
“Prize… huh. Whaddya reckon that is?” Sniper asked, lazily hooking one of his long legs over Medic’s shoulders; the gesture only made the latter’s devilish grin grow wider. The doctor bent down at the hip and planted his hands on either side of Sniper’s waist on the booth, peppering kisses all over his lover’s chest scars. Sniper had been a gift Medic wasn’t even trying to give to himself. One that wouldn’t become one of the biggest blessings of his long life until far after the fact, and when he least expected it. The prize was hardly the medical triumph; Sniper had been his greatest achievement in absolutely none of the ways originally intended. Deliciously unpredictable. And speaking of delicious…
“Keep those sharp eyes of yours on me, prinz, and I’m certain you’ll figure it out! Hoo! ”