Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

             Most, if not all of the red team thought that their scout was an idiot. He had all the tell-tale symptoms of early adulthood idiocy; loud, obnoxious laughter, the inability to leave well enough alone and one of his trademarks, the never-ending spew of word vomit. Most of the team didn’t recognize the clever glint in his eyes as he beat the enemy team with his dented bat, or the way he always listened when they talked about their own families. Most of the team knew Scout came from a big family, as he would always boast about his 7 older brothers. 

             What the team hardly saw was how Scout avoided talking about his relationships with his brothers. In a rare moment, when Sniper had asked about it, as he grew up an only and always lonely child and was curious about those on the team who grew up in a situation so opposite to his. Scout had looked stunned then quickly recovered, “Y’know it’s like… iss almost like bein’ on this’ team!” When Sniper shot him a confused look, he elaborated, “Yeah! Ya’ got tha oldest brothers, like Heavy or Engie, who look out fer everybody else, or like the spook, who are gone most a’ the time, an’ like the middle kids who don’t get attention like Demo or like Medic who’s talented but’s kinda crazy, Soldier could probably fit inta that slot too. Then ya got the youngest kids, like me an’ Pyro who everybody either avoids, dotes on or just kind forgets about. S' kinda stupid once ya really think about it." Scout smile widened, "I'd have guessed you was a middle kid! Yer' just so quiet all the damn time, but yer always up to somthin' smart."

             Scout stretched, "Me an' my brothers, we don't get along too well, givin' that my dad an' their dad ain't the same mister. They used to beat the shit outa me, callin' me names, that's how I got so good at runnin'." Running also helped when your mouth moved faster than your brain did. Scout chuckled, "The only one I was real close to was my brother Johnathan, even then he still beat the shit outa me, but thas just how brother are I guess," He tapered off and his hands wandered to the ever present dog tags around his neck, "He died though, in the war, guess that was bound ta happen though, lots a' people died in tha' war not just Johnny, like our neighbor Ricky, Ricky deserved it though, he an' my ma used ta' go out y'know, till he started ta beat her, he beat me an' my brothers too, called me "mama's last disappointment" an everything." Scout laughted dryly, "Mutherfucker didn't know ma had been married before, he was such a stupid ass."

             Sniper could only blink behind his newspaper, it was a lot of information to process for the 10 minutes Scout had been talking, but he supposed Scout may have made a good point, not about his brothers or about Ricky dying but about the team acting as a sort of dysfunctional family. 

            "Don't ya think?", Scout prompted, his only response being a lazy, mumbled, "Guess so." Before Sniper got off his ass and walked out of the kitchen, presumably to go back to his van, his one social interaction of the day completed, leaving Scout alone with Pyro, who was coloring furiously.

            Later in the day. After the battle(they lost), once Scout had finished running laps to burn off energy, he had realized that he was being watched, he shook his head, 'Spy probably,' he thought viscously, 'It's like he senses when I'm upset,' Scout quickly got rid of that thought, he was a very expressive person, he always had something to say, a comment to add. Thinking that Spy could feel his emotions didn't make sense, because Spy was a heartless bastard who only cared about himself. Hell, he was probably only dating the Engineer for some twisted and self-serving reason. As it turns out, running face first into a person because you weren't paying attention, will almost always reveal who they are and make them a little mad at you.  Scout would know the most about this. And this particular crash left him flat on his ass in the dust.

           "Watch where ya bloody goin' ya mongrel," Sniper huffed, "Nearly bowled me over ya overgrown tree rat." Scout being called a mongrel by the Australian was not new, being called an 'overgrown tree rat', (what did squirrels have to do with this anyway) however was. Scout looked up at the taller man, gauging quickly how rude he could be without getting the shit beat out of him for it.

           "Maybe if ya didn't look so much like a tree, I wouldn't have tried to run up ya'!", Scout quipped back, "Or maybe ya' are a tree and couldn't see me comin' an move out of the way!" This got a bigger reaction out of the Sniper, who balled his fists and look down at the Scout, covered in dirt and sweat. 

            "Or, ya pesky hoodlum, ya coulda, I dunno, watched where ya were goin' an' not trampled inta me like a bloody train? Hell, even an' apology woulda been accepted," Sniper was growing a little more red faced by the minute, getting a little more worked up. He didn't know when he'd started yelling.  "Didn't yer ma ever teach ya to be polite, God, she must be bloody ashamed at what a twat you are, at least she has 7 other kids to not be stupid, lazy disappointments like you are... What?!" He snapped as he heard Scout mumble something. As he looked back down at the man in front of him he could see a slight change in the others eyes. They were cold and a unforgiving, so much the opposite of their normal warmth.

            "Six. My mother has six other boys to not be disappointed in." Scout stated, getting off his ass and brushing dirt away, "Y'know I was just teasin' you right? Ya didn't have ta' blow up, coulda just told me you was pissed and not lookin' ta be teased."

            Sniper shuffled and sighed, looking down at his feet, anger dissipating quickly. "Mate I was just...I'm a little....", he braved eye contact again, he didn't expect this, sense when had Scout kept his head when his mother was brought up. "Mate I'm-"

          "Save it." Scout interrupted.

          "What?"

          "Save ya' damn apologizes for someone who gives a shit." And with that Scout shouldered past him and strode into the base, leaving Sniper stunned and concerned at the lack of reaction.

          Scout ignored his colleges when they asked him what happed and went straight to his bunk, he didn't respond at Engie's knock and request that he come out to talk or Spy's quiet but insistent knocking and request to be let in, Demo and Soldier's joint effort to get him out of his room nearly made him jump out of his small window, Medic and Heavy had the good grace to just leave him alone. As for Pyro, Scout had thought he heard him lying against his door mumbling and murmuring quietly. Until almost an hour later a piece of paper with a crayon drawing on it was slid under the door. After crying over it like a stupid kid for almost two hours, and calming down enough to not be questioned over his tearstained face, he exited his room. Meeting questions with deflections and efforts to get him to talk with silence. 

          Spy and Engineer exchanged a quick glace of concern for the boy, Spy had not heard what the bushman had said to his son but it had damaged some part of the young man's mind. Spy vowed to himself quietly, that he would not let the bushman get away with hurting his child. Scout would not have to know, just like he didn't need to know his parentage or how much his stupid comments of appreciation for the Spy meant to him. Yes. Scout would not have to know.

Chapter Text

Sniper didn't think he had ever been more livid than he had when Scout had run into him. They had lost their match against BLU, that was bad enough in and of it's self, but the twitchy and annoying cheeriness had sent him over the edge. Of course Scout hadn't been paying attention to where he was running, why would he when he expected the whole world to fall at his stupid feet.

To say that Sniper felt some hostility towards the runner was an understatement. he lacked professionalism in every aspect of his work. He would talk to anybody that gave him even half an ear. The stream of chatter was almost never directed at him, if it was he would stand and nod, then quickly excuse himself from the conversation. It infuriated him. He was too nice, too willing to share personal information, like in the morning when he talked about his brother who died in the war, or how casually he admitted to being abused by his brothers and a past boyfriend of his mom's. The thoughts crept into his mind unbidden, guilt worming it's way into his gut making him slightly nauseas. It had been awhile since he felt that way. Guilt had no place in an assassins life, regret didn't serve a purpose in killing for your profession. Yet still he felt it coiling inside him like a venomous snake, wrapping quietly around his guts and through his heart. It was wrong of him to have weaponized Scout's mother against him, that much he was sure of. The runner often spoken so highly and lovingly of her, Sniper could relate. If Scout was even the slightest bit like him, all he would have wanted is his mother to be proud of him.

Sniper remembered a conversation he had overheard Scout's side of the call between the two of them. Scout had been arguing with her about money. Specifically how he wanted to give her more of his paycheck. A line he had thought odd at the time came into focus in his mind.

"Well, it ain't like I'm doin' anythin' out here," a pause then, "Ma' they're my co-workers. Not my friends. They don't gotta invite me anywhere if they don't wanna." Another pause, then the runner had sighed, "They don't want me around Ma', they think I'm a dummy, plus I'm more than half some a' these geezers ages. Seriously, they treat me like Jacky does, like I'm some sorta' annoying twerp and not one a' their co-workers." Scout had spat those words out, then remained silent for longer than Sniper had ever seen. Another sigh, then a steading breath in.

"Yeah. - No, I get it. - Uh-huh" Scout smiled sadly, "Love you too, Ma', stay safe, Bye." He had hung up the phone and jumped when he saw Sniper, but he didn't say anything, just kept walking back to his quarters. Sniper sighed, he needed to make this right somehow.

He reluctantly trudged his way into the base, expecting to find Scout in the common area. The only being their was Pyro, who was flat on his stomach, scratchily coloring in a childish drawing he had been working on that morning. Sniper didn't even bother to ask, knowing the answer would be incomprehensible murmuring from the masked creature. He did spot Spy and Engineer making their to the kitchen. Sniper did not want to have this interaction, not only because Spy was Scout's father or Engineer had practically adopted the boy as soon as his feet touched the cement of their base, but because both were whispering concernedly.

"Oi, Truckie!" Choosing the more good natured man to engage with had apparently been a mistake, as Engineers head whipped around and he gave a surprisingly intimidating glare.

"What'dya want Stretch, I'm in the thick a' somthin' real important." Engineer sounded furious. Maybe it wasn't about Scout's noticeable lack of presence, just maybe, some of his equipment had been broken.

"Ya seen Scout around? Need ta' clear somethin' up with him."

Engineer let out a frustrated sigh, "In his room Stretch." but when Sniper moved to head in that direction, Spy who had mostly been quiet chose to speak.

"May I ask why, Bushman?", Spy already seemed to know why, "What do you need to 'clear up' with him? You two seemed so friendly at breakfast."

Sniper blinked, "Not that it's any a' yer business Spook, but we had a bit of a squabble. Just lookin' ta patch it up."

An uncomfortable silence fell as Spy and Sniper both tried to stare each other down.

Engineer was the first to break the silence. his voice low. "If I hear or see you go near that boy's damn door, I will break every. single. bone. In that long ass body of yours. Don't think I won't Stretch." Sniper blinked as Spy nodded. "Believe me, I don't wanna but I will."

"Correct. You have done enough damage today, Bushman, return to your grimy van and leave us be." Spy's voice had an degree of haughtiness he normally reserved for Soldier. Sniper grumbled and turned away, only to come face to face with Pyro. Sniper had no idea how it managed to sneak up in him, but it pointed a gloved finger at him and held up a scratchy crayon drawing of Sniper. Promptly tearing it down the middle. Pyro seemed to feel good about it's point being made and flounced off, more sheets of paper in hand, Leaving Sniper feeling vaguely confused but threatened.