The Beat Of Birds Wings - TF2 (Sniper x Scout)

Beer

The stove in the motel was only marginally better than cooking off Snipers portable gass burner... But it was slightly quicker and the food they ate was hot. Scout couldn't complain. 

"whaddya say this was again?" Scout said poking a slab of meat with a fork. 

"Roo." Sniper says plainly.

"Like... kangaroo?" 

"Yeh."

Scouts eye brows shot up. 

"Oh..." Scout seemed to slow his eating. 

"Yeah mate, can't go wrong with kangaroo and beans." 

Scout wasn't convinced. 

A fan clicked away over head. Scot trys to ignore the sound and the wobbly table top and when there done eating he offers to wash up.

"Yer gonna eat that?" Sniper says, eyeing the almost un touched piece of kangaroo. 

"Nah." Scout says after a pause. 

" Do you 'ave any idea what I had to go though to catch that?" Sniper Immediately regretted his tone.

Scout didn't like the way he said "catch". Scout frowned, about to explain that he didn't want to know. 

"S'all right, doesn't matter..." Sniper said cooly. "... Takes a while to get used to the Taste. It's not for everyone." He pinched him self. Gotta leave the kid alone.

Scout ran the water so hot it hurt and washed up. He dried the dishes, put them away and hung the tea towel back up all the while thinking of home. home. Ugh. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine what was worse, here or there. Son eh?  he thinks back to the gas station, is that what he thinks I 'm like to him?

"I'm gonna take a shower." Scout said.

"Sure, thanks mate." Sniper said from behind a newspaper. He's sitting at the table still, a leg resting on his knee. 

"For what?" Scout asks .

"Washing up." Sniper says plainly looking over the paper at him. He trys to smile. 

Scout nods and leaves the room.

***

" Oi, chuck us that!" Sniper puts down his newspaper and jumps up from the lounge.

Scouts grip tightens on the can. He sees sniper charging so he cracks it open and starts chugging. He glances up eyes wide, theres foam on his upper lip when Sniper bowls into him.

The first thing Scout processes is that theres beer everywhere, all over his arms, his face, his shirt and the carpet, it's super cold. Sniper crushes the now empty can in his fist.

"UGH, Sniper wa'the hell's wrong with ya?" he flicks his hands as beer runs down them. A muscle in Snipers cheek twitches as a drop lands on him.

" You don't need any of that."

"Wa'dda' mean?" Scouts eyes narrow.

"Ya'know what I mean." Sniper says calmly.

"Musta' slipped my mind, cos' I don't." He grabs a fist full of his shirt and wrings it out.

"Can you stop doing that?"

"Don't change the subject."

Snipers jaw tightens. He allows himself to breath in and out. He purses his lips then asks, "Care to explain your self?"

"I wanted a drink."

"Last time you twerp." He's mad that he let it go for so long. Un-said and festering, it had been eating at him. He feels his insides go cold. "Why'dya kiss me?"

"Pff. Thats what this is about?... I told ya, I don't like you." Scouts got a frown on and a blush he's covering with rage. Sniper can tell.

Sniper tosses the can aside, it bounces off the wall and lands in the trash. He sets his jaw and stares down at Scout taking off his sunglasses. He cracks his neck and slowly reaches into his vest pocket. Scouts staring at the ground head bowed, his shoulders curl forward with tension. He's snarling, cheeks flushed. He reminds Sniper of a scolded dog. He's cornered. Scouts eyes dart up in time to see Sniper draw a cigarette and lighter from his vest pocket. He watches the muscles in the man's fore arm relax and tighten as he lights it and brings it to his mouth. His lips are pulled into a grin. 

"I'll ask agin mate..."

"Fuck off pops, as if i'd like you." He glares up at Sniper and when he speaks the corners of his mouth are pinched. "Don't get excited, it won't happen again."

"Right." Sniper breaths, squaring his shoulders. " Were good then." he says still grinning.

"Fine." Scout doesn't catch that it wasn't a question.

Sniper takes a pull from his cigarette and winks.

Scout sucks in a breath.

Sniper releases his and a veil of smoke rises up between them.

Sniper heres scout mutter something thing and then gets the wind knocked out of him. He feels Scouts shoulder drive right under his sternum. Theres so much force he's lifted off the ground and thrown backwards. The mattress squeaks violently under the force of their weight as they crash down on it. The stunned feeling quickly turns to rage and as Sniper sucks back his breath to release a storm of profanities. His lungs have to fight the boys weight and the pain but he gets it out.

"Oi what the fu-" He's cut off. Theres a blur of movement and reflexively he raises an arm to block it.

The side of his arm catches the inside of Scouts elbow, the boys fist only inches from his face. Sniper retaliates on impulse, no hesitation. While scouts still fighting to punch him Sniper uses the tension to push against, he tenses his core, snatches Scouts other thin wrist in his other hand and uses an unnecessary amount of strength to roll a shoulder forward and flip them. He throws a leg over Scout; almost straddling him; and kneels into the inside of his thighs. He feels Scout try to push against him and sit up but he's heavier and Scout doesn't have a chance. Sniper digs his elbow into the inside of Scouts arm, he yelps.

Scouts chest rises and falls quickly, his breathing is heavy and out of time. Snipers is calm and even. His cigarette is on the blanket next to Scouts head. He stairs at it and ignores the ice Scouts drilling into him with his eyes. He releases the boys arms and plucks it from the scorched cotton. Scout immediately tenses to get up. Sniper takes the pressure of one knee and shifts it to the other and continues to increase it until Scout yelps. He sits up and re-lights the cigarette. They're still for a moment, Snipers gaze out the sliding door across the room. His face is pained and disappointed. Scout shudders beneath him. He can't bring him self to look at the kid. He knows he's crying.

They'er like that for a while. Until Sniper finishes his cigarette, Scout crying silently the whole time. Sniper extinguishes it between his finger tips and lets out a sharp hiss of pain. He flicks it aside and coughs hard. His jaws set. Sniper places a hand either side of Scouts waist and pushes him self up despite the boys grimace. He slips back off the mattress and stands slowly. He offered Scout a hand but it gets smacked away. He grabs Scouts hand and pulls the boy into a sitting position. His eyes are red and puffy. Sniper cups his other hand over Scouts small ones and grips them firmly.

"It's ok." Sniper finds him self whispering. Scout scrunches up his face and looks away. The boys cheeks are glossy with tears. The sight wrenches something in Snipers gut and before he can stop himself he pulls Scout to his feet and embraces him. 

***