The air was crisp with the wash of winter coating the bases as the year began to come to a close in the end of October, leaving a more cheerful note to air that existed among the mercenaries as a few even managed to put of a handful of Christmas lights up for the holidays; painting the base and the white dust of snow outside with wisps of color near anyone’s window that had been decorated. Since it was no longer his preferable hot and sun filled season the tanned Australian engineer had finally given into the need for wearing something more suitable for the chill that pernitrate the air; replacing his usual dingy grey tank top with an equally dingy grey thermal long sleeve shirt, that didn’t hide the muscle cut strength lurking just underneath from his years of carting sentries and dispensers across the battle field. They, much like most of his clothes, were permanently stained by the constant kiss of grease and oil that went hand in hand with the work he did, even managing to occasionally tint his white washed curls that sat tight atop his head and nested around the goggles he kept there during work hours.
Having managed to actually get some real sleep in his own bed and in his own room, Levi had a bit more kick to his heavy steps as he made his way toward his work barn with the tiny black beast of a pug trotting half frozen at his feet; the small bundle of rolls facing the bite of cold that nipped at her paws to keep in step with her “father”. It didn’t take but a second for the barns door to slide open with a metallic groan before Gizmo went hurtling like a grunting bullet toward her cozy fleece lined bed perfectly set beside the hot and roaring iron stove-fire place he had put into the barn himself; that and the amused stormy chuckle that followed gave any clue that they were there to the slim figure waiting for the Engineer at his workstation. The long desk Acel sat at littered in blue prints of parts he was fixing as well as new designs he was currently in the process of crafting, every sketch hand drawn and laid out under the occasional part that was either there to be fixed or a spare for future weapons; the cork board above it holding pins of old blue prints he prized as well as a few sketches of faces that were half hidden behind the corners of other work, not quite masking the artistic hand he had but not displaying it proudly either.
When he noticed that his space was invaded by another familiar figure the man’s artic chilled blue gaze lifted in a silently amused stare that somehow felt as if he could see deeper into him than just into his eyes, piercing the depths of the spy with a whisper of the winter that lurked in the pools that watched him with a look that warmth instead of cold. Saying nothing as he usually did the lean cut Engineer took his time removing his fleece laid jacket now that the warmth of his barn was keeping the autumn air at bay, giving Acel a long view of his war toned body and a glimpse of tanned skin as the hem of his shirt rode up while the waist of his undone overall’s dipped down; teasing him with hard flesh and a whisper of a chiseled V before adjusting his clothes and approaching his work station in slow long strides that were clearly unhurried. “Got somethin’ for me?” His low voice question in an alluring ripple edged in thunder from the winter storm that brewed in the depths of his lungs, hinting at the richer growl that was just on the tip of his tongue but not quite falling free just yet.