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Whatever Nate had expected after his and Ray's relationship became public, it certainly didn't involve Mick.
It happened during a lull between missions, when Nate was busy tunneling through past mission reports from before he'd joined. In fact, he didn't even notice the pyro coming in until he was looming over him like a horror movie villain.
“Gah! Mick! Is there something I can help you with, buddy?” For a moment Mick was silent. Then,
“You and Haircut, huh?” Nate gulped, then nodded.
“Y-you heard.”
“Blondie likes gossip,” Mick explained flatly. He stared at Nate for a few more seconds, then continued. “Haircut's a good kid. Little perfect, a little... eager to please, but... he's a good kid.” Nate smiled in spite of himself.
“He is.” he said genuinely. Mick harrumphed and adjusted his well-worn jacket.
“Alright,” he said. “Well. You take care of him. He's had a lotta trouble in his life, and he don't need any more from you.” And with that, Mick sauntered out of the office, trailing the faint but ever present smell of smoke behind him.
It was only after he'd gotten back to work and gone through one of their other reports that a lightbulb went off over Nate's head.
“...did I just get a shovel talk?!?”