Hooliganry at its Finest

He couldn’t blame you, of course. He wasn’t the most welcoming mercenary here. He wasn’t hired for his charming personality, he got the job done. He chewed on the inside of his cheek as he looked at a wall, considering all the reasons why he’d make you uncomfortable. He refocused when he heard you approaching him, still wearing that stunning smile.

“Sniper! You, uh, you did a really good job too,” you said, clasping your hands in front of yourself.

He gave you a half-smile. You were still kind enough to compliment him, despite his demeanor. He nodded.

“Thanks mate. You did a fine job y’self,” he replied.

That seemed to make you happy. You glanced aside before meeting his eyes again, shuffling a little closer. You moved uncertainly, like you weren’t sure if you were allowed to be so close, but, you risked it anyway. You nudged his arm with yours, and his eyes flickered down to the contact.

“I was thinking the team could play poker tonight! Or, you know, any card game, it doesn’t really matter what. You should come too,” you said, your voice pitched up hopefully.

Mick let out a breath through his nose, tilting his head at you.

“Sure. Sounds fun.”

“I know right! Well, good! We’ll play after dinner. No sneaking off to your camper,” you teased, pointing a finger at him.

“Eh, no promises, mate,” he replied with a fond look in his eyes.

“You’d better not!”

And with that, you scampered off again, on your way to compliment more of your teammates, Mick guessed. Sure enough, he saw you catching up with Engineer and patting his back. He looked happy to see you, just like everyone was. Mick let out a sigh. He really shouldn’t be so fixated on you. He was a professional, keeping a professional relationship with you, just like the rest of his coworkers. Especially considering you were just being your normal bubbly self. This is downright embarrassing, he thought to himself with a scowl. He shook his head and pushed himself off the wall, walking back to the barracks with the rest of the team.

Dinner passed as it usually did, laughter interspersed in your loud conversations, elbows on the table, and the smell of good food in the air. For the usual shoddy quality of things provided by Mann Co., the food actually wasn’t bad. Though, that was probably influenced by the mercs who had some skill for cooking it.

The moment dinner ended, you shot up from your seat, hands on the table. “I’ll get the dishes tonight!” You volunteered, already scooping up the empty plates on the table.

“Aw, well that’s kind o’ you, pardner. You sure you got ‘em by yourself?” Engineer asked, standing up from his seat.

Mick’s eyes were locked on you. He found himself standing up too, already grabbing someone’s plate before he’d thought about it.

“I’ll help ya clean up,” he muttered.

You seemed surprised, your brows flicking up. You smiled and walked to the sink.

“Thanks, Sniper.”

“No problem,” he muttered, looking down as he gathered the last pieces of silverware and brought them to the sink beside you.

Bubbles of soap clung to your wrists as you washed the dishes. Wordlessly, you two had settled into a comfortable pattern. You washed, he dried, and the dishes were neatly set aside. You felt a subtle warmth amidst the quiet. The sounds of running water against the metal sink and plates clinking against the dishrack were barely there. You snuck glances at him, tracing the profile of his nose and the curve of his thin lips.

He was sneaking glances at you, too. How the hell did you always look so happy, even when you were just doing dishes? The way the sunlight hit your face made you look just heavenly.

Soon enough, the dishes were done, and you two caught up with the others in the game room. You walked in first, Mick following behind. It made it easier for him to look at you without having to worry about you looking back.

The others had already gotten comfortable around the table, leaving only a little room for the two of you to squeeze in. Spy looked up from his watch to acknowledge the two of you.

“Ah, good. We can finally begin,” he said with practiced nonchalance, picking up the deck of cards. He shuffled them elegantly as he looked around the table, the cards making a satisfying sound as they flipped together.

“So, we agreed upon poker?”

“Texas Hold’em,” Engineer said with a nod.

You nodded too and smiled as you sat down, Mick sitting down beside you. He tried not to focus on how your shoulder was almost touching his.

Spy dealt the cards to you all and laid back in his seat when he was finished. His cigarette hung from the side of his mouth as he picked up his own cards, eyeing them with a flat expression.

You picked up your cards and tried to do the same, holding them close to your chest, but you let a smile peek through. Whether it was because you had good cards or because you were just happy to be playing, Mick wasn’t sure, but he felt the corners of his lips turning up too. He looked down at his own cards and the group began to play.

The game was fun. Time passed as the competitive mercs rivaled with those that just wanted to cause chaos in the game (ahem, Demo). Mick noticed a few times, when you were laughing, that you leaned on him. He definitely didn’t mind. Maybe you liked him more than he thought. And then he would notice you nudging Medic, or reaching across the table to pat Soldier’s arm, and he remembered that’s just how you were. Nothing wrong with it, of course, you were lovely just how you were. You were a good friend to everyone. The more he noticed, though, the more he wished he wasn’t just a friend to you.

The game came to an end, and the group spread out to enjoy the rest of their evenings. You, who hadn’t won a single game of the night, were still chipper as you went to your room. You spent time relaxing on your own, and soon you decided it was time to go to bed. You got dressed in your pajamas, brushed your teeth, washed your face, did your whole routine before you clicked off your light and tucked yourself into bed.

Today was a good day, you thought with a smile. You closed your eyes and waited to fall asleep, breathing slowly. Your mind wandered. The fight you won, the way Mick had smiled when you talked with him, the ridiculous rivalry between Spy and Scout during the rounds of Poker, the times you had caught Mick looking your way. You turned in bed as you thought more of him, of what it might be like to sleep next to him, and suddenly your bed felt much emptier than before.

You tried to sleep for a long time, you really did, but it never came. Frustrated and losing hope, you opened your eyes and sat up to check the time. It had been well over an hour since you went to bed, and you felt no closer to sleep than before. You sighed. You felt alone. The good feelings of the day were slipping away from you. It didn’t make sense! Why the hell were you having trouble sleeping now?

Staying in bed wasn’t doing you any good anyway. You looked out your window, the blinds open to show the dark night outside. You got up and padded closer to it, searching until you spotted Mick’s camper van outside the base. You bit the inside of your cheek as you stared at it for a long moment. His lights were on out there. Maybe he wouldn’t mind your company…? You could really use his.

You knew sleeping beside someone else would help you, and any of your friends here probably would’ve obliged, but you knew you wanted Mick to be the one to oblige. Ironic, that you wanted the company of one of the most reclusive of you, but you couldn’t help it. Maybe it was part of the reason why you liked him. His quiet felt like peace.

You sighed and pulled on your slippers before you could talk yourself out of your idea.

Mick was reading a magazine, lounging on his bed, when he heard a knock on his camper door. He lifted his eyes, annoyance already worming into his mind. Who would be coming out to bug him this late? He made a low noise in the back of his throat as he set his magazine down and got up. He rubbed his eye, putting on a stern expression as he opened the door. The door let the light of his camper spill out into the night, illuminating you. His eyes widened.

Your eyes widened too. You’d been waiting anxiously outside for a few minutes before you worked up the courage to knock, and there was Mick, standing tall in front of you, in pajama pants and no shirt. Your eyes were drawn to the long scars on his chest before you remembered you shouldn’t stare. You cleared your throat and looked up at his eyes instead. It didn’t calm your nerves, the way he was looking at you with surprise.

“Hi!” You said, rubbing the back of your neck.

He replied with your name, spoken in a soft murmur. “What are you doin’ ‘ere?” he asked, brows twitching.

You felt sheepish, but forced yourself to answer anyway.

“Well, I, uh, couldn’t sleep. I saw you were still awake too, and, I thought… we could… hang out?” you pieced together awkwardly.

He blinked, letting his eyes wander over you for a moment. Even your pajamas were adorable to him. Maybe you were the most lovely person in the world, or maybe he was looking through rose-colored glasses, but either way he was so done for. He snapped his eyes back up to yours. He’d probably been staring at you for too long now.

“Oh, uh, sure mate. You c’n come in.” He stepped aside and held the door open for you.

You stepped inside, glad to be shielded from the chill air as he gently shut the door behind you. Looking around, the camper was messy, but cozy. The walls were cream with a few rusty orange accents, and you gravitated towards a table that had booth seats on either side of it. You looked to Mick, silently asking if you could sit, and he nodded.

“So… couldn’t sleep, eh? Somethin’ getting at you?” He asked, crossing his arms as he leaned against a wall. He was holding his breath now that you were here, but he couldn’t help it. Jeez, he would have cleaned up a little if he knew you would see it.

You chuckled and shrugged as you sat down, scooting into the booth like you were at a café.

“I really tried to sleep, I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m not depressed or anything, but… I dunno. Just wasn’t happening. What about you? Why’re you still up?” You questioned, looking up at him.

He smiled, though he felt like a fool for it. He glanced down and took a moment to reply.

“I usually stay up a bit late. The night is… nice. Quiet. Good time to do a bit of reading. Not that I’m an intellectual or anthin’.”

“Huh. It’s a good habit to have,” you said with a nod. “What do you read?” He could’ve sworn you actually perked up a bit, like you were invested in his answer.

“Heh, nature magazines, if I’m being honest. I like the wildlife stuff, and the photography. And I read the occasional letter me parents send me. Usually they call, but, sometimes me mum’ll send me a postcard,” He said, his voice low and soft. He got the sense maybe he overshared right after he said it, but he was soon relieved by your reaction.

“Aww! Your mom sends you postcards? That’s so sweet. Surprised she knows the address for this place. Thought it was confidential.”

“Ehhh, technically speaking, it is. She don’t know exactly where we are, but, Miss Pauling delivers us the mail we get.”

“Ohhhh. I didn’t know that! Why haven’t I been getting mail?” You huffed, making Mick chuckle.

“Dunno, mate. Maybe it got lost. You could ask Pauling to send a letter for ya.”

“Hmm. Maybe tomorrow,” You muttered, propping up your head on your hand.

He looked at you for a few seconds. He was trying to think of what to say next as he noticed the way your hair perfectly framed your face.

“D’ya want a cup o’ coffee?” He asked quietly, uncrossing his arms and already starting toward his mini-kitchen.

“Oh, no thank you,” you said, holding out a hand to stop him in his tracks. “I’m still trying to sleep. Don’t wanna ruin my chances.”

“Ah, right. Sorry. Just offered without thinkin’. S’what I always drink,” Mick chuckled, shaking his head.

You rolled your lips between your teeth, breathing in before you asked your next question. “Um, by the way… You can totally say no to this, I know it’s… a weird request, maybe,” you prefaced, gesturing with your hands as if it would better help you explain.  “But, uh… would it be okay if… I maybe slept over for tonight? I don’t mean to be weird! I just- I sleep better next to someone else.”

Well, you said it. It was out there now. Hanging in the air, waiting for a reply. Mick was still as a statue, his previously tired eyes now wide awake. He blinked.

“…you wanna sleep next to me?” He asked, brows raising. You couldn’t gauge whether that reaction was positive or negative by his tone.

Mick was starstruck. It didn’t show on his face, but fireworks were going off in his chest, and it almost felt painful how quickly his heart swelled up with hope.

“Yeah. I know, kind of strange, but…” you muttered, scratching the back of your head. “Uh… what do you think?”

“Well, why me? Uh, not that I’m complaining,” he sputtered, fixing his posture as he walked closer to the booth. “But… I can’t imagine anyone in there would have turned you down. You walked all the way out here, in your slippers an’ all.”

You looked down at the table. Being confronted with your own obvious feelings was embarrassing. You swallowed dryly and stretched the hem of your shirt between your hands.

“Yeah…! I wanted your company specifically, because I think you’re… a very calming person to be around.” You sighed, dancing around the words you really wanted to say. But saying ‘I like you’ just felt too childish for your grown age.

“I mean… I see you differently than I see the rest of the team,” you said, voice nearly a whisper as you dared to look up at him again. “In a good way.”

You heard a sharp inhale from Mick and saw his cheek dimple as he bit the inside of it. He was frozen for a moment just looking back at you.

He was reeling. His mind flickered through all the moments he had thought you disliked him. Awkwardly hovering around him instead of just touching him like the others. Quick glances, avoiding his gaze. That way you still smiled brightly at him, invited him to tag along, the way you laughed at his jokes. This whole time, you weren’t uncomfortable around him. You liked him.

“Wow. I feel like a fuckin’ idiot right about now,” he said, a big smile cracking his façade. He let out a raspy laugh and pinched the bridge of his nose.

You let out a nervous chuckle too, eyes glued to him.

“You liked me all this time. I thought… Well, nevermind what I thought. I see you differently too. In a good way,” he said.

“You do?” You asked, eyes lighting up. Mick almost laughed again.

“You kiddin’ me? O’course I do. You’re a bloody rainbow compared t’ everyone else here. Nice to everyone. But yer not just nice, you… really mean it.”

Warmth spread from your face to your heart, his compliments wrapping around you like a blanket.

“Thank you! Wow, I had no idea you felt that way,” you sputtered, tugging at the collar of your pajama shirt.

“Now you know,” he muttered, tilting his head as he peered down at you. His tongue poked the inside of his cheek. “…to answer yer question… you can sleep over here. If you want.”

Your bright smile lit up the room, sitting up straighter at his reply. Your face still felt warm, but you were too pleased to feel embarrassed.

“Yay! I mean, are you sure? You don’t have to say yes just because-“

“I said yes already, come on then,” he grumbled with a teasing smile.

 He tapped your shoulder with the back of his hand and walked past the booth towards the back of the camper, expecting you to follow. You scooted out of the booth in a hurry and jogged after him, peeking around him to look at his bed. It was tall enough for him, but a bit skinny. Not that you would complain about that. With a flick of the light switch, the camper was dark again.

 You looked up at him to see him already looking at you, his expression hesitant but warm. It was a bit harder to see him, but his lean face was illuminated by the soft blue moonlight. He glanced away and sat down first, then laid back with a slight groan. He scooted up against the wall to give you more room, looking up at you. You saw something different in his eyes when he looked at you now. Some joy, like admiration. Had he always looked at you like that?

You climbed into bed, unable to hide how excited you were. You laid down, barely keeping a few inches of space between the two of you. You met his gaze again and felt impossibly hotter. You hovered your hand over his arm, unsure if cuddling was exactly what he had in mind. He smirked as he looked at you, eyes crinkling up at the edges.

“What? You nervous, mate?” He teased in a soft voice, putting his hands on your shoulders.

You let out a weak chuckle, finally letting your hand settle on his waist. You felt him tense a little, then relax.

“Yeah. Sorry- I wasn’t… sure what was okay, or…”

“Don’t be nervous,” he assured you. “Just get comfortable. Don’t have to be so far away. You came over for a cuddle, didn’t ya?”

You smiled again, heart squeezing in your chest. You moved closer, your arms sliding around his bare torso. He welcomed your touch, his long arms wrapping around you in turn and pulling you close. The space between you disappeared, your head now rested on his chest. You closed your eyes and took notice of the rise and fall of his chest with each breath, and the feeling of his chest hair against your cheek.

Unbeknownst to you, Mick was looking down at you as you snuggled up to him, utterly lovesick. You looked so happy just to be near him. He rubbed your back slowly, thoughtfully.

“Never thought I’d be able to comfort anyone much. ‘Specially not you. But I’m glad I can help,” he muttered, his hand moving up to brush against the hair at the nape of your neck. A shiver went up your spine at the light touch. “Is this okay?” He asked.

You nodded quickly, holding him tighter. You inched your leg forward, slipping it between his.

“Yeah! Yeah, it is,” you whispered. “It’s more than okay. It’s like… really nice.”

He smiled fully at your sweet reply. He rested his chin on your head and let his eyes close too, his hand cradling your head like you were precious.

“Good. You feelin’ better about gettin’ ta sleep?”

“Mhmm. I think so… are you comfortable?” You asked.

He nodded without needing to think about it.

“Yeah, ‘course I am. Hmph. You’re a sweetheart, ain’t you?”

He chuckled when you curled up and squeezed him instead of replying.

“Aw, you are bloody adorable.”

 He pet your hair for a moment, considering something. He slowly opened his eyes again to look down at the top of your head. He cradled your head, then leaned down to press a quiet kiss to your crown. Your eyes shot open, and you let out a huff that was almost a laugh. Mick found himself smiling despite the nervous anticipation he felt.

“Was that a kiss?” You asked, already knowing the answer.

“Was it alright?” He asked in return.

You lifted your head, eyes open again but already heavy with sleep. You reached up to cup Mick’s cheek in your hand, thumb running over the roughness there. You leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips, eyes gently falling shut. You felt him take a sharp breath in and go tense against you. If your eyes were open, you’d see how nervous his own were.

You were not only fine with his kiss, but returned it tenfold, in his eyes. He smiled against you, tilting his head as he kissed you back. He pulled away shortly after and gazed at you, eyes just as tired and infatuated as yours. A lazy smile graced his lips.

“You’d better get some sleep, darlin'.”

“Thanks for letting me stay over, Sniper,” you murmured, closing your eyes again as you snuggled up to him.

“Don’t mention it…Jus’ call me Mick, eh?”

“Oh. Sure, Mick," you said, heart still warm in your chest. "Thank you. Goodnight.”