#hamuletta

It wasn't supposed to be like this.

Sniper hated sneaking around, especially a round Medic. He figured that there was a good amount of trust between them, and even though it was for a perfectly normal reason, he still felt like he was betraying him, in some weird way.

If Sniper had his way, he wouldn't even be sneaking around at all but...

Well, he had to make a good impression on Medic's birds.

It was stupid, he thought, nearly every time he snuck into the room where Medic put their coop. He was a grown adult, and here he was, trying to win over a bunch of pretty little doves only so their owner might like him more.

That wasn't entirely true, though. It started off as that in the beginning, but now Sniper really saw why Medic loved the little things. They were cute, and if you were the right person, they were very sweet.

Around his third trip, they would even land on his shoulders and give him what he called "kisses". Really it was just small little pecks, but Sniper thought it was sweet.

He had even taken to giving them little nicknames. He knew who Archimedes was, nearly everyone on the base did, but the other ones he wasn't so sure about.

He'd call them all sorts of sweet names. Love, sweetheart, doll, you name it. Around his fifth trip, they had even taken to coming when he called, and wasn't that an improvement?

One night, when Sniper knew that Medic would be occupied elsewhere, he snuck in again, for the final time (though he did not know it would be his final time).

There wasn't any sort of plan really, he just wanted to pop in before he went to bed and say goodnight. He'd been lacking on visits since he and Medic spent more time together.

The doves seemed to love his sudden visit! As soon as he opened the door, they all broke out into sweet coos and flew to greet Sniper at the door.

"Hang on, now." He said softly, so as not to wake any birds that may be sleeping.

Archimedes watched down from the largest perch, and cooed loudly, as if to ask Sniper what had taken him so long.

"I know, I know." He said, scratching the head of a dove he liked to call Sweet Pea, "I'm sorry I left you all so long."

A few flew to rest atop his hat, and Sniper chuckled. He'd be lucky if all they got on him was a few feathers.

"Aw, don't be so glum, I'm here now."

He walked around the coop to greet every bird, handing out treats that he had bought the last time they were allowed to go to the store. They all seemed to like it, which made Sniper very happy.

After an hour of petting the birds and talking to them, Sniper knew he had to leave. He had already spent forty extra minutes with them, and he didn't know when Medic would be back.

"I'm sorry, little ones." He said, putting a young dove he had called Pumpkin back into her spot in the coop, "I don't want to leave, but I have to.."

They all stared up at him with black beady eyes that seemed to bed him to stay.

This was the hardest part, Sniper decided.

"I gotta go, darlings." He said sadly, giving Archimedes his last treat, "Be good while I'm gone, okay?" Some cooed in response, and Sniper took this chance to leave.

He turned away, ready to sulk back to his van, when suddenly he came face to face with Medic.

"Hello, Sniper." He said, grinning from ear to ear.

Sniper felt his face heat up, and he began stammering, trying to explain why he was there.

Medic chuckled, stopping Sniper in his tracks.

"You cannot possibly believe that I would be upset at you?"

"But...I went behind your back, and-"

"What you have been doing is visiting my birds, talking to them in a high voice and giving them treats and pets and your time. I don't see why this is an issue."

"I haven't been baby talking them!" Sniper argued, though he had been just a second ago.

"Well, isn't this adorable! You're flustered because I caught you being sweet on my precious pets." Medic reached up and plucked a few fallen feathers from Sniper's hat, before reaching to cup Sniper's face.

"It's very cute, how you care for them. I like this soft side of you." He leaned forward and pressed his lips against Sniper's, before retreating and stepping around him to greet his birds.

Sniper soundlessly watched as Medic set out food and water for them, cleaning their coop as he went along.

After a minute or so, Medic turned around, eyebrow raised and his hands on his hip, "Well? Are you going to help or just watch?"