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It was so cold Sniper had been driven out of his van. He huddled up in the base with a blanket and a hot cup of coffee – he’d brought his whole coffee pot from his van in here just for this. The snow outside was thick and still falling albeit slowly. He hated it with every fiber of his being, if it were possible it’d be the one thing he’d shoot to kill for personal reasons instead of professional.
It was probably warmer deeper into the base instead of the entrance hall but Scout was still out on a scouting mission. Sniper was waiting for him to come back to make sure he was all right. The fact that he’d been sent out after such a heavy blizzard was insane and dumb beyond belief. According to the Administrator it was super important and thus couldn’t wait. Scout was more resilient than he looked though, he’d be fine… probably.
He was already about an hour late though. Which didn’t mean anything bad had happened, the depth of the snow no doubt hampered even his running speed. According to the weather forecast on the radio the snow was due to start picking back up in a few hours so he better come back soon or Sniper would start to worry.
“Still no sign of Scout?”
Sniper turned his head to see Engie leaning into the room, a blanket was pulled tight around his shoulders. Sniper wasn’t the only one freezing his ass off, Heavy was probably the only one who wasn’t too bothered by the cold. Probably Pyro too since it gave him a good excuse to start a fire in the fireplace.
“Not yet,” Sniper answered before taking a drink from his coffee.
“Boy better hurry up, we’re all starting to worry.”
“He’ll be fine.” Scout was tough and he could handle the cold a whole lot better than Sniper could. Sniper was just waiting for him to welcome him back since he deserved that after being forced – he hadn’t truly been forced, he hadn’t even complained much before heading out – to go out in the wretched snow and cold.
Engie frowned and sighed. “I hope so. If he’s not back in the next few hours though someone’s got to go looking for him, it’s supposed to start snowing hard again later tonight.”
“I know.” Sniper did not like the thought of going out in such wretched cold but he’d do it if he had to along with anyone else who wanted to join him.
“Well, I’ll leave you to your vigil then. Be sure to let us know if he comes back, ‘kay?”
Sniper grunted his acknowledgement and Engie left, leaving Sniper alone once more. Supposedly alone anyway, it felt like someone else was in the room with him but he was probably just imagining things.
Another hour passed and the snow kept falling, increasingly harder with every passing minute. Sniper was getting ready to get up and go find some other members of the team – Spy and Heavy, the two most suited to the task for various reasons – to go out and start looking for Scout with him when he spotted something moving in the snow outside through the one-way window.
It was Scout! See? Sniper had been right, he’d only been delayed by the snow and was perfectly fine.
Sniper jumped up and punched in the door code before Scout could put it in himself. The door opened with a thunk and let in a frigid blast of cold and snow that instantly had Sniper feeling like he might be seconds away from freezing solid.
“You have no idea how fucking amazing it is to see you again,” Scout said as he stepped in and thankfully pulled the door closed again. He was covered from head to toe in fresh snow and frost. His face was largely hidden by his hat and the thick scarf wrapped around his lower face but what was visible of it was pale with cold. His eyes were smiling though even as a bout of shivers visibly ran through him.
Sniper felt colder just looking at him. “You okay?” he asked.
“Uh… sure, let’s go with ‘yes’. I got the briefcase.” He held it out triumphantly, his other arm still wrapped around his chest. “I didn’t get caught either, so basically I’m the greatest.” If he was able to boast then he was probably mostly okay, just to make sure though…
“Great, let’s go see Medic.”
“Fuck no, I ain’t going to see to Medic right now. And no ‘but’s,” Scout cut Sniper as he opened his mouth to protest. “I’m cold and miserable and I want to change out these clothes and cuddle, not go see Medic and get poked with needles and things before being told that I need to change clothes and warm up. First, I need you to pry this briefcase out of my hand though because I literally can not let go of it. My fingers are frozen.”
Sniper should insist Scout go see Medic anyway to make sure frostbite didn’t set in or hypothermia or anything else bad that happens because of intense cold. But if their situations were reversed, he wouldn’t want to go see Medic right away either. And well, he was right, if nothing was seriously wrong, Medic would send him on his way to change clothes and warm up.
“Fine,” he said with a sigh as he stepped forward to examine the briefcase in Scout’s hand. True to his word his glove looked to have frozen to its handle. The cold was actual hell and winter in this region of the world was one of the few things Sniper truly feared. If it wasn’t for his job, he’d hightail it out of here as soon as physically possible to somewhere sane and never come back. And he’d take poor Scout with him.
Trying not to grimace, he grabbed Scout’s hand with one hand and the briefcase with the other. He was as gentle as he could but Scout still winced when Sniper forcibly separated the two.
Sniper placed the briefcase in slot that would whoosh it to Miss Pauling’s office. “You sure you don’t want to go see Medic?” He asked as he turned back to Scout who was hugging himself with both arms now and still shivering violently. The snow and ice were melting on his clothes, making a small puddle around his feet.
“Yes, I’m sure. I just want to go to my room and change.” He sounded so miserable Sniper couldn’t bring himself to argue. So he lead the way out.
They didn’t run into anyone on the way there. Probably because everyone was in the common room where the fire place was.
“Stay and help me warm up?” Scout asked once they reached his room.
“Of course.” Sniper didn’t even need to be asked. “I’ll go tell the others you’re back while you change clothes, ‘kay?”
Scout nodded and Sniper pulled his hat up to kiss him on the forehead – it was ice cold – before leaving. He headed to the common room where indeed the entire rest of the team was hanging out around the fireplace, Pyro sitting closest of course and enraptured by the fire within. Spy didn’t seem to be there though, he was probably around somewhere doing spy things, whatever those where.
“Scout’s back,” Sniper said, drawing all but Pyro’s attention.
There was a murmur of relief before Medic spoke up as he stood. “Good, bring him to my office, I need to check to see if he has hypothermia and/or frostbite.”
“Uh… later?” Sniper was worried about the possibility of both of those things too but he also sympathized with Scout in his not wanting to get a checkup from Medic right now. So he’d compromise and take him in later unless when he got back to Scout it was undeniable that something was seriously wrong and needed immediate medical attention. “I think he’s mostly fine, just a bit cold.” ‘A bit cold’ was the understatement of the century for sure.
Medic frowned at him. “Fine, but when you’re warming him up cuddle facing each other, it’s more effective for sharing body heat.”
Sniper’s face grew hot and he retreated, he should’ve expected a response like that.
When he returned to Scout’s room, Scout answered seconds after his knock; clearly waiting for him. He’d changed clothes and now wore warm pajamas. He was still shivering though.
“You okay?” Sniper asked.
“Yeah, sort of, just cold. It feels like my bones are made of ice, like the cold sunk into me and froze them solid. I hate it, it’s awful. I never want to go outside again. Cuddle with me.” He grabbed Sniper’s wrist and guided him onto the bed.
He let Scout arrange them how he wanted, wrapped up in a blanket, Scout cuddling into his chest and pressing himself as close as humanly possible. His body was cold and he still shivering intensely, making it less than perfectly comfortable but Sniper didn’t care as long as Scout was okay.
“You’re so warm,” Scout said, sounding like he might be heaven. “You’re the greatest, thank you for existing, and I love you.”
That… was first time Scout had said ‘I love you’. That was a big deal, right? It certainly felt like it. Had it just sort of slipped out or did he really mean it though? It was hard to say with him.
“Something wrong?” Scout asked, pulling back a little. “Am I too cold or…”
“No, nothing’s wrong,” Sniper cut him off, forcing himself to relax a little. “I uh… love you too.” It didn’t matter if Scout had truly meant it or had just sort of said it because Sniper meant it and it felt nice to finally say out loud.
Scout made an unintelligible sound of happiness as he pressed himself close once more. Good. Later Sniper would take him to Medic to make doubly sure was okay but for now they could cuddle for warmth and enjoy each other’s company.