Odysseus, when you come home, I'll be waiting
Sniper's head was swimming.
It was no mystery, at least. He hadn't eaten in a while. His voice was surely wrecked to a certain amount, too. He couldn't remember the last time he spoke to someone. Couldn't find the energy afterā¦ afterā¦
He wasnāt skipping meals entirely. Heavy, under the mad doctorās guidance, would track him down during lunch breaks and force him to grab something to eat. But outside of the battlefieldā a place he didn't hang around for long anywaysā he didn't get reminders from a well-meaning doctor, and forgot. Sometimes he would get himself standing long enough to eat something, but otherwise he was too preoccupied withā¦ woodcarving, cleaning, drinking, you name it. Almost like his life was beforeā¦
Somewhere tucked far, far in the back of his mind, he wondered what the team was up to. Whether they were still doing those poker/drinking nights. Whether they were experimenting with crazy, fucked-up chemicals again. How Engie's supply run went.
Most of the time, he busied himself with hobbies or chores, but sometimes he would just lie down andā¦ think. About what was anyone's guess, though. All of his thoughtsā if it could be called thoughtsā were nothing but vague, abstract ideas. Regrets, mostly. He didn't know why he sometimes decided to wallow in the mess of a headspace that just made him feel shitty, but he did. It certainly wasn't something he liked to do, but he didn't really have much of anything else going for him.
He didn't know what happened, but one evening, he watched himself open the door, flint and steel in hand.
A few other things were picked up after the fire was litā mainly nicotineā and that was basically all Sniper needed for an āenjoyableā evening. He didnāt bother with a chair, reasoning that heād be washing his clothes anyway.
The faintest of stars were just beginning to fade in as Sniper lit a cigarette. He considered using the campfire to light it. Decided against it.
His camper was parked pretty far from the base that day. Far enough that he couldn't hear the faint chatter from inside like usual. That meant he was much closer to the forest and fauna in the outskirts of fuckall nowhere. It was nice. Reminded him of home, a bit. He had half a mind to head in and hunt, if just to get himself to eat something, but he wasn't sure.
A little voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like his mum chided him for not eating properly. He ignored it.
It had been a while since he'd been camping. As he looked around at the forest, the sand caking his boots, the sunset with too many colors to name, he realized that heā¦ missed it. That tranquil feeling he always had when he was just a little kid on the farm. He didn't get it often, nowadays, only when he was alone on a contract or at his parentsā on break.
The silence didn't last for long, though. All at once, there was rustling in the forest, the bushes shifting with the movement ofā
Sniper reached for his kukri despite himself, but he forgot it in the camper, and that gave whatever was out there to approach. Except, when it took a step, then another, Sniper recognized the black running shoes, and promptly realized it wasn't a creature. He slowed to a stop, the lighting straight out of a film, expression one of surprise.Ā
āHey,ā Scout panted, out of breath from running, apparently.
āHi,ā Sniper replied lamely. āWhat, what're you doinā all the way out here?ā
āUh,ā he said, āI, uh. I come out here sometimes, ācause it gets boring runninā around the base all the time. Uh, you?ā
Sniper considered answering that honestly before realizing he didn't have a reason. āSā just nice out here, I s'ppose.ā
āYeah, it is.ā A pause, Scout looking around for a second before landing on the fire. āIs, uh.. you campinā out here?ā
āYou could call it that,ā he conceded, shrugging a bit.
āCan I, uhā¦ can I sit here a sec?ā
A beat of pause. Before Sniper could even think of a reply, Scout was defending the idea.
āLike, I know it's gettinā late anā all, I'll get outta your hair in a few, justā¦ I dunno. It's real nice out here, y'know? Andā¦ā
āYeah. Yeah, you can rest āere a sec.ā
And for the first time in a long while, Sniper watched Scout smile. It wasn't like he remembered it. Back then, his smile was excited and ecstatic, bright, full of life. This one was warm, and calm, andā¦ sad.
Scout did sit down, across from Sniper with the fire between them. He just stared at the fire for a second, the light glimmering in his eyes.
āSo you like campin'?ā Scout said, almost a whisper.
Sniper took a moment to figure out how to reply. āSomethinā I did as a tyke. Helps me wind down, calms my nerves, it beinā quiet anā all.ā
Scout blinked, still staring at the fire. āYeahā¦ quiet,ā he mumbled, a little oddly. āYou uh, you been eatin out here?ā he asked next, glancing up to try and meet Sniper's eyes.Ā
Sniper had to break eye contact this time, though. āEr, yeah. Why?ā
āDunno, justā¦ haven't seen you in the base a while. And, and I know you do supply runs with your camperāā a vague gesture toward the vehicle in question, āā but likeā¦ I, I dunno. You did move it a little further away, so, couldn't see you leave or come back. Sājust kinda curious.ā
Only then did he realize he forgot his glasses in the camper, so he was left vulnerable to Scout's baby blues. āYeah, I've been eatinā. No worries.ā He tried to keep eye contact for a moment, but it was getting harder to do so. āEr, howāve you been?ā
āIām good,ā Scout shrugged, but his face didnāt show it. āThe teamās been boring.ā
āThatād be a first. Nothinā interesting happened?ā
Sniper just looked, an eyebrow ticked up.
āWhat? Nothinā happened. Itās whatever.ā
Sniper only hesitated for a moment before dropping it.
He found itā¦ odd, that Scout wasnāt talking all that much. He wouldāve expected at least a brief summary of whatever the hell happened, but no. Nothing. Not even a hint.Ā
A brief pause fell over them, and in that time, Sniper glanced up at Scout, who was still staring at the fire. Then he noticed how much different Scout actually looked compared to The Scout in his head.Ā Ā
A little tanner, for one, but maybe that was just the lighting. Freckles all around the base of his neck and a few on his cheeks. Sniper imagined that there would be a few on his shoulders, too. Scout was thrown into sharp relief, the firelight now undeterred by the sunset. He was loose, maybe relaxed, maybe tired, maybe something else. But it left his eyes half-lidded, shoulders slumped, expressionā¦ blank, for lack of a better word. He seemed just a little too interested in the fire, a little too quiet. He wanted to know why.
āI, uh,ā Scout started suddenly, focus shifting in an instant, āI should go. Got things to do anyways, and I donāt wannaā¦ā
ā...Yeah,ā Sniper agreed. āChores?ā
āYeah. Uh, thanks for lettinā me stay a bit.ā He stood with a hop, a youthfulness to his movements. āBye.ā
āBye,ā Sniper said, waving. āCareful in the forest. Lots of little creatures.ā
Scout only hesitated for a second before turning around and running out.
Maybe something changed that day, as a few days later, Sniper had his camper parked a little closer to the baseā close enough to hear some chatter from the inside, at least. He noticed then that the supplies in his camper were running low, which he found weird because he was hardly eating anyway. He figured he had two options: drive all the way to the nearest town and deal with bugger knows what, or simply go to the baseās kitchen and pick up a few cans. Ten minutes later, deciphering the seemingly random labels, well, clearly one appealed to him more than the other.
In the middle of considering whether or not to take a can simply labeled āMeatā, he heard some movement from the hall.
A few footsteps later, Sniper found out it was their Engineer. āHeya, Sniper,ā he greeted simply, looking a little surprised. āOut from down under?ā
āāEllo,ā Sniper laughed, waving for a moment before returning to his task.
Engie approached, ending up on Sniperās left, to work with the coffee machine. There was a little smudge of graphite just under his left eyeā unshielded by his usual gogglesā and the side of his overalls were stained with a little bit of oil. It was a little awkward for a moment, up until the truckie spoke. āThatās expired, yāknow,ā he said, not looking up.
āWhat?ā He fumbled for a second before finding the print. āOh. Cheers, mate,ā he said, feeling a bit silly as he set it near the sink.
The coffee machine whirred to life. Engie turned to rest his hip on the counter, and Sniper took note of the man pointedly looking in his direction. āHavenāt seen ya āround much,ā he started, āWhat brings you to the base?ā
āJust picking up some non-perishables, could come in handy,ā Sniper replied, and was actually a little proud of how level his voice was.
āWhat about you, then? Getting coffee atāā a glance at his watch, āā at almost 5 oāclock. Planninā on sleepinā late?ā
āIf at all,ā he chuckled, shifting his hat up the two inches it moved down since he entered. āGot a new project, tend to get lost in the process of it all, tend toā¦ to lose trackāa time. Iāll bet you know how thatās like,ā he said, and Sniper couldnāt see through the hardhat but he could tell an eyebrow was raised.
āYeah,ā he said, not knowing how else to respond.
In the brief pause, the coffee machine stopped, and Engie moved to grab a mug from the cabinets. āYou been eatinā enough out there, son?ā he asked next.
āYeah,ā Sniper repeated, dropping a can into the little bag that he brought. When he glanced at Engie after a beat of silence, he knew the man didnāt believe him. He turned away.
The Engineer only stared for a few more seconds before letting up, moving to pour coffee into the mug. He looked lost in thought as he took a sip. āFunny thing is, Scout started answerinā questions like that too.ā
āYup. Been awful quiet recently. He still shows up to dinners ān hangs about in the rec room, butā¦ā A sigh. āLook. I didn't wanna have this conversation now, butā¦ well, first it's you, up and dissapearinā all of a sudden, then Scout's gone sour, it'sā¦ I can't help but think that it's mighty strange, that y'all went quiet damn near the same time. Y'know anythinā about that?ā
ā...Nah,ā Sniper lied outright. āDidn't even know he's given everyone the silent treatment.ā
The Engineer took another sip. āRegardless, could you talk to him one'a these days? Maybe get him to say why he's sulkinā in his room half the day?ā
āWhy me?ā Sniper asked, done gathering food but not wanting to leave the conversation.
āYou know why,ā he answered simply.
Sniper didn't respond for a split-second too long. āWell, if you get to him before me, could ya pass it along? Wanna make sure he's doinā awright, at least.ā
Engie hummed. āRighty, will do. Well, I won't keep ya here any longer. Nice talkinā to ya, stretch. Have a good night.āĀ
He stared back down at the coffee maker for a few moments. Waited, hesitated, before he just took the whole pitcher back to his workshop.
Sniper blinked. Then headed back to his camper as well.
