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The RED team never noticed their Pyro disappearing after battles. And if they did, who cares? At least the braindead freak isn't burning their base down.
– "And Heavy just stares at him... and stuffs it into his mouth! Toothpick and shit!"
Pyro can barely recall how they met their BLU counterpart: after a game of... Pier, they think, both teams went away to have a good night's sleep. Pyro just got out of the hole they got sent into by an explosion...
– "Of course he choked. Told you, I said. And Scout went..."
And noticed an enemy, sitting on the wet sand. The battle was over, they got that already, and they also got abandoned again. But why wasn't the BLU Pyro, – who his team actually liked, – in his base as well?
– "And so we're chilling, no pun intended, and you know how cold it is on Coldfront, so..."
They didn't even take out their flare gun (their flamethrower got lost, and even if it wasn't it probably died from all the water), just walking up to the BLU Pyro. This was the one BLU they were really passionate about killing, and they exchanged dominations almost every game. The enemy was sitting on the cold sand, just... staring ahead and looking peaceful.
– "It was cold as fuck, even for the Russian bear Heavy and me with my... heh, y'know. We got all the heaters we could find, plugging them into the barely-working outlets..."
The other Pyro didn't even hear them, though it wasn't his fault entirely: RED always moved really quietly, barely noticing their heavy uniform. They were standing near him for some time, and then dropped onto the sand next to him.
– "I don't even know how we managed to survive! Everyone was praying that the heating goes on, and after all we ended up sleeping squished together on the couch..."
He jerked awake, almost jumping up to run (Scaredy-cat, they thought fondly), but Pyro patted him on the back and looked at the clear night sky.
– "And..."
And-
– Hey, Py, are ya even listening?
– [Huh?] – they snapped out of it, slowly focusing their gaze on the BLU. – [Oh... sorry.]
The pyro laughed warmly, putting his head on their shoulder: – Yeah, s'fine. I know you tend to get lost in thought.
– [Mhm.] – they managed to answer, trying not to think about how warm the other is. And soft, probably, great for hugging. Winter weight, as Pyro told them (or an "I'm a fatass lol" sometimes) wasn't something bad, really. More like...
Ahem. But it's not like they're gonna tell him that.
– And, uh- hey, did I tell you about how Engi saw my face for the first time?
– [Your Engi saw your face??] – they side-eyed the BLU.
– Yeah, and Scout, the cunt, Medic of course, Sniper... Demo, I think, but I doubt he remembers anything. Yours didn't? – Pyro stayed quiet, and the BLU continued: – Come to think of it, that makes sense... I remember that your team doesn't really like ya.
– [Barely tolerates, more like.] – RED scoffed. – [So what about your Engi?]
– Oh, right! So I was sitting in my room, cleaning my mask lenses: your Scout madmilked me that round, – (they both let out a disgusted sigh), – and y'know how that goes. And so I'm sitting there, gasmask in hands, trying to clean the stains, and Engi comes in. He doesn't usually knock, I told him it's alright, so I just look at him... he looks at me... I didn't even get it at first. Then I did. Ahhh, he saw my face! He saw my face!, – he mimics.
Pyro chuckles, making the other laugh as well, and continues after a couple of seconds:
– And Engi... he just took a couple of steps back and closed the door. Not a word. I was so embarrassed!
– [I'd kill myself...]
– Oh, c'mon! I'm sure you're hot under that mask.
– [I'm uglier than Scout.]
– There isn't a human on Earth who's uglier than Scout!
They laugh again: BLU – a genuine chuckle, and RED – an awkward scoff. Yeah, no human. And they're-
The other Pyro pulls away, and they look at him unceirtanly, as if asking you alright?. He shrugs.
– Y'know, I was thinking... – he turns around a little, raising both hands up to his face. Pyro tilts their head like a confused dog. Something squeaks, and after a couple of seconds the BLU turns around to look at them. Look at them, without the gasmask. – Engi saw, so why can't you?
Pyro stared. They couldn't think of a reaction. The enemy Pyro was... pretty, and that's the only thought in their brain right now. His hair was a deep ginger, and looked so soft they wanted to bury their face in it. Some freckles were scattered across his cheeks, and his eyes were a bright green. BLU was looking at them with a playful expression, but... they can read people. And they can see how afraid of their reaction he really is.
They tried to say something, but no sound came out. The only thing Pyro managed to do is let out a sigh and headbutt the BLU into his chest.
– [You're hot.] – they admitted, and after a few seconds understood just WHAT they said.
– Shut up, – the enemy Pyro scoffed, clearly not taking it seriously, and then sighed deeply: – Holy hell, I forgot how easy it is to breathe without that damned thing. Do you even take yours off?
– [I brush my teeth and shower, you know.]
– You gotta take a breath. I forgot how good the air smells after it rains. – the other Pyro, without waiting for an answer, put his palm on their neck. – It doesn't rain much 'round here. Let's get it off, yea?
Oh. Wait, wait, no, they don't need a breath, no way, no. They can't, can't let him see them, they can't-
But Pyro never knew how to say no, so they just froze up in panic as the other's hand got under their gasmask.
The first thing BLU Pyro felt was hair, so thick it could be mistaken as fur, on the RED's neck.
– Damn, you need a haircut, man. – he chuckled, moving his fingers under the mask to see where he should start taking it off. He started suspecting something, when their jawline was fluffy as well, but that could just be a beard...
And their throat too.
And, – just to check, he moved his hand under the other's collar, – their chest..-
Pyro paused, just like the RED in front of him.
It felt like hours. After a while, he looked down at the Pyro in front of him, but their face was still buried in his chest.
...what?
He didn't even understand how that happened, but his fingers found their way to the other's cheek and scratched it, as if the RED was a cat.
– Gods- stop. – they let out something resembling a sob.
– I... I'm... – BLU sounded a lot less confident. – ...Can I? – and started pulling the gasmask up.
– No! – Pyro quickly answered. Too quickly. – No, just... just don't. Please.
Awkward silence followed, and it felt like eternity. RED's head was hung down in embarrassment, and BLU was staring into nothing.
His hand moved again, making the other Pyro shudder, and went higher up.
They purred.
– You have ears. – he muttered. – Cat–
– Shut it.
– And so soft, too...
– Shut the fuck up.
– You're like a kitty.
Pyro didn't answer.
– ...do you have a tail?
– Can you shut up for a second??
Instead of answering, Pyro started scratching behind their ear. The RED let out a shaky breath.
– And you're so... warm... I should've took you to Coldfront. You would work as a human heater.
Pyro glared, pulling away, tugging their gasmask steadily into place.
– [Is this seriously the first thing you came up with?]
– Well, what do you want me to do? "Ahh, demon, get away from me!" - and push ya off a cliff? – BLU grabbed the sides of their masked face, gently making them look him in the eyes. – I'm not like that.
They stared at each other for a while, in complete silence, until RED Pyro hung their head down.
– [...Yeah?] – they asked unceirtanly.
BLU looked at them, unamused, and suddenly pulled them into a hug.
Pyro sobbed something, trying to get away, but couldn't, and after a couple of seconds just went limp in his hands.
Yeah, he... he is warm. And great for hugging.
– [Fatass.] – they choked out without any bite to it.
They stayed like that for a while.