fic: Paper Heart
Mar. 30th, 2013 10:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bonnefoisTitle: Paper Heart
Series: TF2
Character/pairing: Scout/Miss Pauling, ensemble
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 6000
Summary: It was just another routine round of capturing the intel, until it wasn't. After a chance meeting with the new assistant, Scout brings out his A-game to try and get her attention.
Author's note:![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
longfic_bingo: fusion.
So, I watched Paperman a while ago, and noted that the girl, Meg, has Miss P hair, and the boy, George, is tall and gangly and totally lacking in muscle. It wasn't long before I was opening photoshop and shopping some glasses on her.
This is a sorta fusion that keeps in line with TF2 canon, because it was too cute not to. Timeline is really early, to when Miss P was very young and just being hired.
Oh, and if it isn't obvious from the descriptors, they're at 2fort.
*
"And he hits home plate, the fans go wild!"
Scout lifted up his arms, the sounds of cheers of adoring fans in his head, even though the only sound around was the beeping of the various machinery around here. Well, that and the Engineer smacking away at his sentries, while Pyro stood there next to the dispenser, guarding the sentries.
The door opened behind him, something he'd never seen happen before. Sure, he'd seen people working back there, all in black, so that he could barely tell one worker apart, but he'd definitely never seen her before. She was tiny as could be, with her dark hair pulled back and gathered at the back of her neck. She wore a purple mini-dress, and damn did she wear it well—well enough to leave him literally gaping.
She pushed up her glasses and looked up from whatever data she'd been looking over. "Engineer, there's an issue in the mainframe, and you're needed. For some reason, it isn't counting down the time correctly."
"I'll be right there, ma'am." He tipped his helmet to her. "Keep an eye on them for me, smokey."
"Hudda!"
"Oh, I'll take that," she said.
She was actually looking at him, holy crap! A great gust of wind came up as she took the intel, lifting the papers into the air. Wait, this was freaking underground, there wasn't any wind. A paper hit her right in the face. Scout scrambled to pull it off her, and got caught in another airblast, which made the papers just circle up in a whirlwind around them.
He found himself holding the paper which had hit her. She laughed softly. Oh, man, she was real cute.
He looked quickly over the paper, trying to figure out what had made her laugh, and saw a lip print right on the top secret documents. Another airblast blew it away from him. Scout tried to reach for it, and ended up flat on his face in instead. Really smooth move, that was.
"Hey, smokey, cut it out and leave the lady be, or you'll have to go through me!" Of course, he would've looked tougher if he wasn't sprawled on the floor, but hey, he thought he got the message across.
Pyro giggled. Literal, actual, bonafide giggles here. It was kind of unnerving, coming out someone–or something–that looked at home in his old horror mags.
"It's no problem. They're actually quite docile...er, provided that you're not on the other team. What a mess, though."
Scout scrambled to pick up the papers, because damn if he couldn't be helpful. Especially if adorable girls were involved. Never mind that he was kind of crunching them together in the process. They were still readable! ...Mostly, anyways.
"I'll call someone to collect them later," she said. She wasn't even looking at him! Even with his high quality cleaning action, she was walking away from him! The door was closing behind her, and she was walking right back out to the big screen, the one spot of color in all those suits.
He rushed over and banged on the glass, his breath steaming it up, and obscuring her from view.
"Hey, lady! I didn't get your name! Lady!"
It had to be soundproof or something, 'cause no one was looking his way.
He let the papers he had been collecting fall to the ground. No use keeping them, anyways. She might not even come back for them. The round might even be canceled at this rate, with mainframe issues going on.
Pyro tilted his head. "Mmpha?"
Scout kicked the papers away sullenly. He'd come so close and he'd choked. Now that she was gone, he could think of plenty great lines to use on her. Are you tired, 'cause you been runnin' through my head all day! Now there was one sure to knock her off her feet.
"Hudda!" Pyro said. He blew an airblast to make the papers rise into the air again, and laughed when he succeeded in making them float. Scout saw it among all the other papers, the one with her lipstick. He leapt up and grabbed it from the air. He couldn't make heads nor tails of the code it was printed in—only the spies and a few of the other workers could read that crap—but he didn't give a damn about the secret crap, anyways.
Man, she'd been cute. He could just imagine a lipstick print like that on him. His cheek, his lips, his....
Matches will continue as usual without a time limit until the machinery is fixed, the Administrator said over the speakers. Scout looked back to the glass doors. She was looking up at the screen. Watching the round.
Scout looked down at the lipstick print on the paper. She see everything amazing gravity defying jump he did, see him wipe the floor with those chuckleheads and do it while being incredibly handsome, even.
She'd come out, wobbly with lust, cling to him and go Oh, Scout. You're so fine. Please take me out on a date, I won't take no for an answer! Also, I'm wearing no panties today. I thought you should know that.
Scout let out a long, happy sigh. Yeah, it'd be great. All he had to do was make team BLU regret the day they were ever born. Which he technically did every day, but today he had to do it extra hard.
"All right, babe. I'll bring out my A-game, just for you."
He folded up the paper and put it in his bag as a good luck charm. Then he set off up the hall, up past the Respawn.
He stepped out towards the bridge, and saw a blue dot. Fricking snipers. A shot fired and embedded into the wall behind him, sending wood pieces flying.
"Real sharp shootin', you asshole," he called. He just barely ducked another shot, and gave the chucklehead the finger, and stuck his tongue out for good measure.
Sure, he nearly got clipped again–okay, he got hit in the arm and let out a shriek, but that didn't count—it was worth it. Scout got a running start and leapt over to the covered bridge. A large explosion hit the ground, and a Soldier landed right in front of him.
"Oh, you wanna dance? Well, then, we can dance!"
There wasn't a whole lot a space on the top of the bridge. Scout moved to dodge the first rocket, and nearly teetered off the edge in the process. Sure, that old tale about there being some kind of fish monster was bunk, but he wasn't taking any chances.
Three more to go, and then the Soldier would have to switch to something else or reload. He could do this. He took a leap, and then another, using Soldier's helmet for leverage as he leapt up and away. The BLU Soldier tried to twist, despite being pushed down by Scout's weight, but Scout was just too fast for him. He jumped up and aimed a shot that hit the Soldier right in the shoulder, but it wasn't enough to take him out. A little red light settled on the soldier's helmet. Scout smirked. A shot came through the air, and that Soldier was falling right down into that water with a crash, droplets fanning out and turning red.
"That's for holdin' still, wanker!"
"Thanks, pally!" Scout called back.
He took a running start and hopped right onto the highest entrance of the BLU base. The BLU Sniper was already waiting for him. Instead of his rifle, he had his kukri out.
"Stand still," he muttered in a low, hoarse growl.
"Make me!"
Fair was fair, he wasn't about to bring a gun to a knife fight. Scout pulled out his bat, and charged at him. The BLU Sniper slashed, the blade cutting a big gash over his arm and chest, cutting his shirt in the process. Scout let out a cry of pain as the shock hit him. The light reflected off of the BLU Sniper's glasses as he stabbed again, this time hitting Scout in the side. Scout fell to his side, smearing the wall with his blood. This couldn't be it. Not when he'd come this far. She was watching him. A paper sailed through the air, until it rested at Sniper's feet. It must've been one of the old ones from the briefcase, from the last time he'd taken their intel.
"Say your prayers, you mongrel," Sniper said.
"You better get your own prayers lined up, buddy! I hope you went to confessional, because you're gonna need it!"
Scout ducked, and it soared just over his head. The Kukri embedded in the wall, and the BLU Sniper pulled at it, to no avail.
"You missed again, you goin' blind or somethin'? So much for being a sharp shooter!"
Scout wasn't about to let this chance go. One hit, two, three. His bat might not have been as sharp as Sniper's Kukri, but he could hit faster than Sniper could even dream of. He hit hard, knocking the BLU Sniper back a few inches, and away from his kukri. One, two three, home run! he put all his weight into it, and slammed into Sniper, sending him right off the side of he building and into a free fall.
"Oh, you're going down under all right—six feet down under!"
Scout kept running. His side was killing him, but it wasn't mortal. Still, if he didn't get a health pack soon, he might be in trouble later.
He could hear the beeping before he even got too far. Of course they'd have a damn sentry. He wasn't too scraped up from going against the BLU Sniper, but that cut was still bleeding and stinging like a bitch. He'd been here dozens of times, and knew there was some first aid bottles hanging around just past the Respawn. He just had to get there.
"All right, Bonk. Don't fail me now. We're goin' in," Scout said. He tossed the drink up and downed it, waiting for the first electric hit of adrenaline to hit him. When it did, it was like flying, like being hit by a bolt of lightning. He hummed a secret agent theme as he soared past all those chucklenuts at BLU who really thought they could even stand a chance to him. They couldn't even see him, let alone hit or catch him.
He grabbed a bottle of salve and splashed it on himself as he ran, tossing the bottle aside when he was done. He wasn't all better, but it'd have to do until he could find another one, or get ahold of his side's Medic.
"RED Scout is breachin' our defenses!" called their dinky little Engineer, too little too late.
He heard a sizzling, crackling popping noise, and the cry up sentry down! as he kept on down the hallway.
"Today is just not your day, pal," he said, and chuckled to himself.
"Wait, I hear noise," said a deep, rumbling voice that echoed in the underground chambers.
Crap, it echoed here. Scout kept quiet—which was harder than breaching their crappy defenses, truth be told—and kept to the wall. He slowly peered out the other side to catch exactly who he did not want to see standing right there where he needed to be. Right smack in front of the intel room was a Heavy and Medic pair, just waiting to blow him to bits and make a huge fool of him in front of that cute new girl.
Scout swallowed nervously. He'd have to think about that one. He could just jump in and.... No, that wouldn't work. If he could just take out the doctor, maybe he'd have a fighting chance, but he couldn't take anymore Bonk for a bit.
He heard the sound of reloading. Scout looked over, to see his team's Demoman. Scout pointed to the Heavy and Medic team, and Demoman nodded, with a sly grin on his face.
Oh yeah, teamwork. That could work.
"Take out the Medic. I'll get the Heavy, lad," Demoman said in and undertone.
"All right, I got it, I got it!"
Demoman shot out a grenade so that it bounced off the wall, and landed between Heavy's feet. He kicked it away, but not in time to not get hit with the aftershocks of the grenade.
"Stay behind me, Doctor!"
"Ja!" Medic said. His medigun was on full force, and he could pop an uber at any time, and then they'd really be in trouble.
It'd probably barely made a dent in the big guy. Stupid Heavy and Medic and their stupid frickin teamwork.
"Hey, Heavy. Your mother's a screamer. Almost as much as Medic's wife, ha!"
Scout could hear the minigun starting to spin.
"Hey, maybe I'll take Sasha out for a nice steak dinner. You think she'll like that?"
"I'm coming for you!"
Scout took off at a run and leapt right over Heavy, his gun trained on the BLU Medic following right behind. The Medic's face went from concentration to a gasp as Scout aimed his gun right at Medic before he even landed.
"What's up, Doc? Not you!"
He fired an entire clip into Medic's face. The doctor didn't even have a chance to scream before he was down in the floor, what was left of him, anyways. Scout quickly jumped away, using the wall as leverage, as the BLU Heavy had turned around, hearing the screams of his teammate.
Turning his back on Demoman wasn't such a good idea, as he'd switched to stickies. Scout knew just what to do. He pulled out his bat and ran around the Heavy and swung. He just had to keep leading him on.
"Today ain't your day, pancakes!" he called back.
Bullets whizzed just past his head as he was just one step ahead. He set off on a run towards Demoman, and Heavy followed, slow as a fricking ice floe. In these corners, though, he wasn't dodging. For once, he bit back his screams and kept running. He didn't want to look like some kind of coward in front of the girl, after all.
"Hey, I bet your sisters are cute, maybe I'll take them out, too!" Scout called as he rounded the corner. Up the stairs, Demoman was waiting, smirking. That was generally a good thing, unless it was the Demoman on the other team.
The hallway looked like it was covered with Christmas decorations, stickies everywhere, but Heavy couldn't see them from there. At least, he couldn't until it was too late. Scout doubled back and jumped over Heavy's head, keeping him distracted just long enough to fall into the Demoman's trap.
Scout kept running past the explosions, like some fricking movie star, the sound ringing in his ears as he came around the corner.
"They'll be gluing you back together IN HELL!" Demoman said, his laughter echoing through the halls.
Scout took at a run for the intel room. He was almost there, almost there.
Nobody there. Was BLU really that incompetent? Jeez, what fricking losers.
He strapped the intel to his back and started out.
The enemy has captured the intelligence came over the intercom. About time the Administrator started talking about how he was owning this game. He thought she should really add the enemy captured your intelligence because you suck so much, also look at that incredible handsome man over there! Yes, look, new assistant. He's definitely a fine man you'd want to go out with.
But his reverie was broken by the sound of footsteps. Out from the corner came a BLU Pyro, like some horror right out of his nightmares. No face, blue rubber or whatever it was, and a freaking flamethrower. Scout took off on a desperate run away from the Pyro which was following him like a fire breathing dragon, flames licking at his heels. Jeez, where was his team when he needed them?
He ran through the lower parts, even as the water slowed him down a little—but only a little, because it was him—it was better than being fried alive.
He was just coming out near the bridge when he felt the hot fan of flames to his back again. "Jeez, are you ever goin' to quit? Just go back to where you came from already—hell, that is!"
Suddenly the BLU Pyro was blown away. Scout found himself looking into the face of his team's Pyro considering him with his head tilted.
"Oh, gee, um...thanks," Scout said.
Pyro lifted his hand. Scout had to stare for a minute to figure out what Pyro wanted.
"What, you want me to slap you one? Well...all right, but make it quick, we're in the line of fire."
He laid one on him—a slap, that is—and it was pretty cool, except that instead of just slapping Scout's hand, Pyro pulled him into a hug, giggling all the while. Scout stiffened, and tried to get out of the squishy feel of latex and asbestos crushing him.
"Whoa, whoa dude, just one slap doesn't make us bros!" Scout protested. He pulled away, only to see a big fricking rocket coming their way.
"Also, rocket coming this waaaay!"
He was just about to haul ass out of there when Pyro simply blew that rocket away with an airblast like he just did not give a shit about the damn rockets. Blew it right back into the face of the Soldier that fired it, that was. He could swear the little bastard was grinning behind his mask.
"You know, Pyro, you're all right...maybe," Scout said. "Thanks for the help, but I gotta haul it!"
He splashed took a jump past the water, landing in the middle and getting his clothes even more soaked in the process, but this was no time to be thinking about that. He wasn't going to let little stupid things like gravity and crap keep him down. He was a force-of-nature, also he failed science, so obviously it didn't apply to him. Take that, middle school science!
He raced up the halls back to the intel room, so far so good. There were the fried remains of a BLU Spy down right in front of the completely intact level three sentry.
"Hey, good job, smokey," Scout said.
The Pyro came around the corner and gave him a thumbs up sign. The guy was pretty light on his feet for being covered in a big rubber suit.
"I'll just be right here, to make sure she gets it right. Then I'll hand it to her, literally!" Scout said.
"Huddhahu?" Pyro said, tilting his head.
"Yeah, she's great, huh?"
"Mmmmpha."
"What a beaut. I gotta get her to go out with me," he said. He leaned against the wall and looked dreamily back at the glass, where he could just see her, the lone spot of color among all those black-clad orderlies.
Time passed, and none of BLU got close. True, he should be back out there, showing them who was boss all over again, but the minute he left, he'd lose his chance to see her again. Papers were strewn all over the floor here. Scout took one of the papers and folded it into a paper airplane. He tossed it in the air. After looking into the glass room—so close but so far!—he threw the paper airplane at it. It bounced off harmlessly the door. No luck. She wasn't even budging, but instead was bent down to talk to the fricking Engineer. Like shorty had anything on him—guy was probably married, anyways, he had that vibe.
Scout made airplane after airplane as he waited. He tossed them up into the air, only to have them fall to the ground with a soft noise. He used to have a ball with these when he was a kid, especially during school. Really, it brought back the best memories. He smiled and took another glance towards the door. If only he could just open that door, then he could charge in and talk to her. He could tell her how brave he'd been, and then she'd be so overcome by him, she'd swoon right into his arms. Oh Scout, my lacy bra is bothering me so, please remove it for me on our next date!
He knocked his head on the door of the glass. Ouch, now that was one bad idea. That glass was thick. He should know that already, considering how many times he'd seen it get shot and not break. Sometimes due to boredom, because watching the intel was about the most boring job there was, but mostly because of battles happening down here.
None, nothing, nada, zilch. She wasn't even turning around!
Scout trudged up the stairs reluctantly back to Respawn. Where were the rest of them, anyways?
Heavy and Medic were chatting, while Spy smoked in the corner, looking bored and like a smug, stupid, stinky asshole, just like always. Soldier was at attention, looking like a freaking robot, while Demoman was just drinking like a fish.
"Hey guys, what gives? Let's go, we gotta kick some BLU ass!"
"We've already got enough to win the match," Spy said. He flicked open his case and took out another cigarette. "All we need to do is ensure the BLU team don't get any more, and considering their show today, that won't be hard."
"Aye, the Spy is right. We've already done our duty, lad," Demoman said. "Might as well relax a bit while we wait for the screamin' lady to fix the match right."
"But, we've gotta keep it up! I gotta get more them!" Scout said desperately.
Heavy munched away on a sandwich, as Medic cleaned his gun. No one was exactly stepping up.
"Fine, I'll get the damn intel myself if I have to," Scout said.
He stalked out. Last time he'd had help, and BLU might be regrouping, but he could do it. Not a lot of other people could, but he could. At least, he hoped he could. No! No doubts allowed, he'd do it and get her attention once and for all!
He was just about to head off the road, when he realized that he wasn't alone, and that Pyro was following after him.
"Hey, I thought you were watching the intel?" Scout said.
"Mhrrumpha," Pyro said. He mimicked a marching, and for a minute, Scout wondered if he was taunting his taunt, but no, the salute made it clear.
"Oh, Soldier's down there, huh? I was wonderin' where he went off to," Scout said. "You gonna help me?"
"Hudda!"
"Okay, then it's two of us. BLU don't stand a chance," he said.
Spy decloaked and made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat.
"As if I'd let you go make even more of a fool of yourself than you do on a regular basis."
"You're the fool, fool," Scout said.
"Brilliant comeback. You have truly astounded me with your biting wit. I will have to surrender myself to your superior skills, obviously," Spy said. He rolled his eyes.
"I'll roll your eyes— to the back of your head with my fists–" He broke off as he saw the rest of his team coming out.
"Well, we might as well properly school them, ja?" Medic said.
"Might as well earn my paycheck," Sniper said, pushing his glasses up.
"Cannonball!" Demoman bellowed.
Heavy let out an incoherent roar of a battle cry.
Scout smirked and raised up his fist. "All right, consider their clocks cleaned!"
*
"Who is he even talking to?" Miss Pauling asked. She frowned at the screen as he yelled out this one's for you!
"He just talks," said one of the orderlies.
"And talks, and talks, and talks, and talks," another workman added wearily.
"Does he have a thing for the Administrator?" She said. She covered her mouth with her hand to stifle the laughter. What a doomed affection...it was kind of cute, in a completely wrong way.
"I doubt it," another orderly said. "He's terrified of her."
She moved away from the screen to peer down on the progress. Engineer had been welding something, and now he was doing something else entirely. She didn't quite know what.
"Are you almost done, Engineer?" She asked. "The Administrator...she has little patience."
"Almost there, Miss Pauling. And I know, I've been workin' for her for years, now."
He had pulled out wires, and was working to reattach them. They sparked, and he let out a disgusted groan.
"It'll take a mite while yet, I guess," he said.
"The Administrator doesn't like to be kept waiting," She said.
"I know. I'm workin' it."
She sighed and got up to look at the screen again. Scout was making a significant change in the match again. RED team had really rallied, though she couldn't tell what had changed their morale so dramatically to make them push so hard.
"He's never done this before," another orderly noted.
She looked up, and he was looking up at a camera, with a bright smile. "You seein' this? You seein' this, beautiful? Hope you enjoy the show, gorgeous, because there's more where that came from!"
"Probably tryin' to get your attention," Engineer muttered.
"What?" Miss Pauling said.
"Well he sure as hell ain't tryin' to flirt with me," Engineer said with a wry smile.
She blushed a little as she looked up, feeling suddenly hot under her collar. A rocket soared past him as he took a leap off of the bridge, papers scattering into the air as he ran. It looked like he was flying.
*
He arranged them just right, briefcase after briefcase. Hell if he knew what they held, but he didn't really care. It was the thrill that ensuring the other team didn't have their secret crap that mattered. And finally, finally, it paid off. She came out the doors, looking a bit taken back at the work of art that was his mountain of BLU briefcases put into a heart-shape.
"Hey, you didn't tell me your name," he said.
"You will refer to me as Miss Pauling," she said. She didn't even look up from her clipboard, and he was looking extra manly today, too!
"That ain't your first name," he said.
"By TF Industries policy, first names are not used. You should already know this," she said. That clipboard was driving him crazy. How dare that stupid clipboard steal away attention that should rightfully be his! He was about two seconds from ripping it from her hands and going look at me! How could she just not gaze on this perfect example of manhood right in front of her? Seriously, how?
"Oh that? My name is––"
"I already know your name; I'm familiar with your personnel file," she replied, effectively cutting him off.
"Very familiar, huh?" Scout said.
She looked up from her papers—finally— and flicked her gaze over him. But it was quick, dismissve, and she was back to her papers in just a second. He'd never been so shut down like this. It was pretty damn hot.
"Oh...According to the surveillance, you have a piece of intelligence that belongs to TF Industries," she said.
"What? I put all the briefcases over there," Scout said.
"A paper," she said.
He thought for a second. He something gotten attached to his legs? Oh, that!
"I don't know, I'm pretty attached to it," Scout said.
"Are you as attached to it as your job and life? Withholding information is a serious offense, one sure to land you in a disciplinary hearing," she said, pushing up her glasses to the bridge of her nose.
He pulled the paper out from his bag. It was still in pretty good shape, though a bit more wrinkled than when it first went in there.
"See, I can't read a word of this crap, but that's not why I like it."
He smiled and pointed to the lipstick mark right there.
"Oh...I see."
She reached into the pocket of her purple skirts and pulled out a little piece of folded notebook paper. She unfolded it and pressed the paper to her lips. Never had Scout wanted to be a piece of paper more in his life. He stared transfixed as she pulled the paper away and held it out to him.
"Perhaps you'll take an exchange?"
Whoa, she had to be flirting with him, right? Right? This was like a proxy kiss. Good going, man!
"Yeah, I'll take that," he said.
"Good, now that this is settled, time to take these in."
Several orderlies came to pick up his hard work, dismantling the heart shaped pile of briefcases. He was kind of sad to see them go. It'd been like a work of art, so many BLU briefcases spinning in time together.
"Hey, Miss Pauling! I'll build you a frickin' castle out of intel if that's what it takes to see you again!"
She looked over her shoulder. "I'll be looking forward to it."
Whoa, she was smooth! What a comeback! Not even a smelly Spy with his stupid sarcasm could out do that! And it wasn't even mean, either. Scout stumbled out to the showers, feeling like he was in a daze. Yeah, she was a real special girl all right.
*
"And then, and then, she said 'I'll be looking forward to it!' She's in love with me, I know it!"
Heavy muttered to himself in Russian and rattled the dishes and crap real loudly in the common room.
"I think I liked it better when he talked about baseball," Sniper said.
"Aye," Demoman said and poured himself another drink.
He heard the sound of uncloaking.
"Scout," Spy said.
"Yeah?" He said without turning around.
"Silence is golden. Duct tape is silver." He heard the sound of a roll of tape being unrolled. When he looked back, there was a vicious gleam in Spy's eyes–even more so than usual.
"Whaat—that ain't funny, man."
"Why waste tape when you could simply sew his mouth shut, or cut out his tongue, or remove his vocal chords? Or even better, do all three?" Medic said. His grin was seriously Dr. Frankenstein.
Scout started at a dead run out of there. They were after him, they were frickin' after him! "Screw you, guys!" he called back. "This ain't funny!"
"No, it's hilarious!" Spy called.
He ran into Pyro coming in the other door.
"A little help, here!" he cried.
Pyro saluted. He lifted up his flamethrower, and a blast of air knocked them back.
"Thanks, pally!" He called back as he rushed away
"Honestly, that boy. He can't even take a little joke about maiming," Medic said.
"Who's joking?" Spy said.
*
Miss Pauling stared at the last remaining paper of the day's work. She'd put the rest in order. The translation could would be done by her and the Spies tomorrow, but this one had been truncated. She lifted it up, the imprint of her lips still quite clear, right over a not about the sale of Australium–in code, of course, but she'd learned the code used for Australium quite fast, considering how often she had to translate it. She found herself smiling for no reason...well, not exactly no reason. She flipped it over. It seemed a waste simply to burn or shred it, when he'd held onto it so tightly.
Not that she cared what he thought, mind you. Okay, perhaps she cared a little.
She'd be doing something very dangerous, but...
She rested her hand on the paper, caging the print from harm as she used her other hand to knock over her coffee cup.
"Oops," she said flatly.
A few snips, and the print was preserved. It hadn't been her intention, but now it had the shape of a heart...like she was giving him some childish paper valentine.
She frowned at it, at herself, her choices. Honestly, what was she even thinking? He was her coworker, a hired killer, no less. She'd had the window to let in some air, but it'd gotten rather cold. She got up to close it, and a sudden wind took it from her hands. She could only watch as the paper heart fell towards the ground.
*
Scout kept running until he was out of the base. Sure, he'd lost them ages ago, because he was just that great, but it felt good to run. The wind had picked up, and it'd gotten a bit chilly, but he could take it. He was a Boston boy; he'd felt way colder than this.
He saw something floating down, and caught it. A little paper heart, like the type the kids gave around valentine's. He looked it over, and found the same kiss mark. It'd come back to him!
He looked up, and saw her looking down from the second story.
"Hey, Miss Pauling," he said. He waved up at her. Oh, man, her bun was turning messy and undone! How cute was that? Extremely!
"Hello, Scout," she replied.
"Thanks for givin' it back, it means a lot to me. I'll keep it around like a good luck charm. With somethin' like that with me, I just can't lose."
He lifted it to his lips and kissed the paper heart, almost like he was kissing her.
She ducked back out of sight. Oh wait, was she blushing? Oh, score!
"You put on a good show today, Scout," she said. She stepped back into view again, and yes, he could just see a faint flush to her cheeks.
"I know, right? Total A-game right there. Keep watching, Miss Pauling, because you're goin' to see a quality show you can't see anywhere else on earth."
"I work here, so I will," she said. She was smiling at him! Score! He'd gotten a grin out of her yet, and a blush in one day. Oh man, he was awesome, life was freaking awesome!
He grinned back at her and gave her a two finger salute before he took off running again. He was full of so much energy and happiness that he just had to burn it off and feel the ground beneath his feet. Besides, he couldn't slack off in training anymore, not with someone to impress. He already had plans for tomorrow. One, wipe the floor with BLU, two, manage to lose shirt and give Miss Pauling a show, three....well, okay, he was still working on three, but four and five involved dating, that was for sure.
Just when he thought his life couldn't get anymore awesome, she had to come into his life. He'd have to step up his game every day, no more slacking off. For her, he thought he could manage.
Series: TF2
Character/pairing: Scout/Miss Pauling, ensemble
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 6000
Summary: It was just another routine round of capturing the intel, until it wasn't. After a chance meeting with the new assistant, Scout brings out his A-game to try and get her attention.
Author's note:
longfic_bingo: fusion.So, I watched Paperman a while ago, and noted that the girl, Meg, has Miss P hair, and the boy, George, is tall and gangly and totally lacking in muscle. It wasn't long before I was opening photoshop and shopping some glasses on her.
This is a sorta fusion that keeps in line with TF2 canon, because it was too cute not to. Timeline is really early, to when Miss P was very young and just being hired.
Oh, and if it isn't obvious from the descriptors, they're at 2fort.
*
"And he hits home plate, the fans go wild!"
Scout lifted up his arms, the sounds of cheers of adoring fans in his head, even though the only sound around was the beeping of the various machinery around here. Well, that and the Engineer smacking away at his sentries, while Pyro stood there next to the dispenser, guarding the sentries.
The door opened behind him, something he'd never seen happen before. Sure, he'd seen people working back there, all in black, so that he could barely tell one worker apart, but he'd definitely never seen her before. She was tiny as could be, with her dark hair pulled back and gathered at the back of her neck. She wore a purple mini-dress, and damn did she wear it well—well enough to leave him literally gaping.
She pushed up her glasses and looked up from whatever data she'd been looking over. "Engineer, there's an issue in the mainframe, and you're needed. For some reason, it isn't counting down the time correctly."
"I'll be right there, ma'am." He tipped his helmet to her. "Keep an eye on them for me, smokey."
"Hudda!"
"Oh, I'll take that," she said.
She was actually looking at him, holy crap! A great gust of wind came up as she took the intel, lifting the papers into the air. Wait, this was freaking underground, there wasn't any wind. A paper hit her right in the face. Scout scrambled to pull it off her, and got caught in another airblast, which made the papers just circle up in a whirlwind around them.
He found himself holding the paper which had hit her. She laughed softly. Oh, man, she was real cute.
He looked quickly over the paper, trying to figure out what had made her laugh, and saw a lip print right on the top secret documents. Another airblast blew it away from him. Scout tried to reach for it, and ended up flat on his face in instead. Really smooth move, that was.
"Hey, smokey, cut it out and leave the lady be, or you'll have to go through me!" Of course, he would've looked tougher if he wasn't sprawled on the floor, but hey, he thought he got the message across.
Pyro giggled. Literal, actual, bonafide giggles here. It was kind of unnerving, coming out someone–or something–that looked at home in his old horror mags.
"It's no problem. They're actually quite docile...er, provided that you're not on the other team. What a mess, though."
Scout scrambled to pick up the papers, because damn if he couldn't be helpful. Especially if adorable girls were involved. Never mind that he was kind of crunching them together in the process. They were still readable! ...Mostly, anyways.
"I'll call someone to collect them later," she said. She wasn't even looking at him! Even with his high quality cleaning action, she was walking away from him! The door was closing behind her, and she was walking right back out to the big screen, the one spot of color in all those suits.
He rushed over and banged on the glass, his breath steaming it up, and obscuring her from view.
"Hey, lady! I didn't get your name! Lady!"
It had to be soundproof or something, 'cause no one was looking his way.
He let the papers he had been collecting fall to the ground. No use keeping them, anyways. She might not even come back for them. The round might even be canceled at this rate, with mainframe issues going on.
Pyro tilted his head. "Mmpha?"
Scout kicked the papers away sullenly. He'd come so close and he'd choked. Now that she was gone, he could think of plenty great lines to use on her. Are you tired, 'cause you been runnin' through my head all day! Now there was one sure to knock her off her feet.
"Hudda!" Pyro said. He blew an airblast to make the papers rise into the air again, and laughed when he succeeded in making them float. Scout saw it among all the other papers, the one with her lipstick. He leapt up and grabbed it from the air. He couldn't make heads nor tails of the code it was printed in—only the spies and a few of the other workers could read that crap—but he didn't give a damn about the secret crap, anyways.
Man, she'd been cute. He could just imagine a lipstick print like that on him. His cheek, his lips, his....
Matches will continue as usual without a time limit until the machinery is fixed, the Administrator said over the speakers. Scout looked back to the glass doors. She was looking up at the screen. Watching the round.
Scout looked down at the lipstick print on the paper. She see everything amazing gravity defying jump he did, see him wipe the floor with those chuckleheads and do it while being incredibly handsome, even.
She'd come out, wobbly with lust, cling to him and go Oh, Scout. You're so fine. Please take me out on a date, I won't take no for an answer! Also, I'm wearing no panties today. I thought you should know that.
Scout let out a long, happy sigh. Yeah, it'd be great. All he had to do was make team BLU regret the day they were ever born. Which he technically did every day, but today he had to do it extra hard.
"All right, babe. I'll bring out my A-game, just for you."
He folded up the paper and put it in his bag as a good luck charm. Then he set off up the hall, up past the Respawn.
He stepped out towards the bridge, and saw a blue dot. Fricking snipers. A shot fired and embedded into the wall behind him, sending wood pieces flying.
"Real sharp shootin', you asshole," he called. He just barely ducked another shot, and gave the chucklehead the finger, and stuck his tongue out for good measure.
Sure, he nearly got clipped again–okay, he got hit in the arm and let out a shriek, but that didn't count—it was worth it. Scout got a running start and leapt over to the covered bridge. A large explosion hit the ground, and a Soldier landed right in front of him.
"Oh, you wanna dance? Well, then, we can dance!"
There wasn't a whole lot a space on the top of the bridge. Scout moved to dodge the first rocket, and nearly teetered off the edge in the process. Sure, that old tale about there being some kind of fish monster was bunk, but he wasn't taking any chances.
Three more to go, and then the Soldier would have to switch to something else or reload. He could do this. He took a leap, and then another, using Soldier's helmet for leverage as he leapt up and away. The BLU Soldier tried to twist, despite being pushed down by Scout's weight, but Scout was just too fast for him. He jumped up and aimed a shot that hit the Soldier right in the shoulder, but it wasn't enough to take him out. A little red light settled on the soldier's helmet. Scout smirked. A shot came through the air, and that Soldier was falling right down into that water with a crash, droplets fanning out and turning red.
"That's for holdin' still, wanker!"
"Thanks, pally!" Scout called back.
He took a running start and hopped right onto the highest entrance of the BLU base. The BLU Sniper was already waiting for him. Instead of his rifle, he had his kukri out.
"Stand still," he muttered in a low, hoarse growl.
"Make me!"
Fair was fair, he wasn't about to bring a gun to a knife fight. Scout pulled out his bat, and charged at him. The BLU Sniper slashed, the blade cutting a big gash over his arm and chest, cutting his shirt in the process. Scout let out a cry of pain as the shock hit him. The light reflected off of the BLU Sniper's glasses as he stabbed again, this time hitting Scout in the side. Scout fell to his side, smearing the wall with his blood. This couldn't be it. Not when he'd come this far. She was watching him. A paper sailed through the air, until it rested at Sniper's feet. It must've been one of the old ones from the briefcase, from the last time he'd taken their intel.
"Say your prayers, you mongrel," Sniper said.
"You better get your own prayers lined up, buddy! I hope you went to confessional, because you're gonna need it!"
Scout ducked, and it soared just over his head. The Kukri embedded in the wall, and the BLU Sniper pulled at it, to no avail.
"You missed again, you goin' blind or somethin'? So much for being a sharp shooter!"
Scout wasn't about to let this chance go. One hit, two, three. His bat might not have been as sharp as Sniper's Kukri, but he could hit faster than Sniper could even dream of. He hit hard, knocking the BLU Sniper back a few inches, and away from his kukri. One, two three, home run! he put all his weight into it, and slammed into Sniper, sending him right off the side of he building and into a free fall.
"Oh, you're going down under all right—six feet down under!"
Scout kept running. His side was killing him, but it wasn't mortal. Still, if he didn't get a health pack soon, he might be in trouble later.
He could hear the beeping before he even got too far. Of course they'd have a damn sentry. He wasn't too scraped up from going against the BLU Sniper, but that cut was still bleeding and stinging like a bitch. He'd been here dozens of times, and knew there was some first aid bottles hanging around just past the Respawn. He just had to get there.
"All right, Bonk. Don't fail me now. We're goin' in," Scout said. He tossed the drink up and downed it, waiting for the first electric hit of adrenaline to hit him. When it did, it was like flying, like being hit by a bolt of lightning. He hummed a secret agent theme as he soared past all those chucklenuts at BLU who really thought they could even stand a chance to him. They couldn't even see him, let alone hit or catch him.
He grabbed a bottle of salve and splashed it on himself as he ran, tossing the bottle aside when he was done. He wasn't all better, but it'd have to do until he could find another one, or get ahold of his side's Medic.
"RED Scout is breachin' our defenses!" called their dinky little Engineer, too little too late.
He heard a sizzling, crackling popping noise, and the cry up sentry down! as he kept on down the hallway.
"Today is just not your day, pal," he said, and chuckled to himself.
"Wait, I hear noise," said a deep, rumbling voice that echoed in the underground chambers.
Crap, it echoed here. Scout kept quiet—which was harder than breaching their crappy defenses, truth be told—and kept to the wall. He slowly peered out the other side to catch exactly who he did not want to see standing right there where he needed to be. Right smack in front of the intel room was a Heavy and Medic pair, just waiting to blow him to bits and make a huge fool of him in front of that cute new girl.
Scout swallowed nervously. He'd have to think about that one. He could just jump in and.... No, that wouldn't work. If he could just take out the doctor, maybe he'd have a fighting chance, but he couldn't take anymore Bonk for a bit.
He heard the sound of reloading. Scout looked over, to see his team's Demoman. Scout pointed to the Heavy and Medic team, and Demoman nodded, with a sly grin on his face.
Oh yeah, teamwork. That could work.
"Take out the Medic. I'll get the Heavy, lad," Demoman said in and undertone.
"All right, I got it, I got it!"
Demoman shot out a grenade so that it bounced off the wall, and landed between Heavy's feet. He kicked it away, but not in time to not get hit with the aftershocks of the grenade.
"Stay behind me, Doctor!"
"Ja!" Medic said. His medigun was on full force, and he could pop an uber at any time, and then they'd really be in trouble.
It'd probably barely made a dent in the big guy. Stupid Heavy and Medic and their stupid frickin teamwork.
"Hey, Heavy. Your mother's a screamer. Almost as much as Medic's wife, ha!"
Scout could hear the minigun starting to spin.
"Hey, maybe I'll take Sasha out for a nice steak dinner. You think she'll like that?"
"I'm coming for you!"
Scout took off at a run and leapt right over Heavy, his gun trained on the BLU Medic following right behind. The Medic's face went from concentration to a gasp as Scout aimed his gun right at Medic before he even landed.
"What's up, Doc? Not you!"
He fired an entire clip into Medic's face. The doctor didn't even have a chance to scream before he was down in the floor, what was left of him, anyways. Scout quickly jumped away, using the wall as leverage, as the BLU Heavy had turned around, hearing the screams of his teammate.
Turning his back on Demoman wasn't such a good idea, as he'd switched to stickies. Scout knew just what to do. He pulled out his bat and ran around the Heavy and swung. He just had to keep leading him on.
"Today ain't your day, pancakes!" he called back.
Bullets whizzed just past his head as he was just one step ahead. He set off on a run towards Demoman, and Heavy followed, slow as a fricking ice floe. In these corners, though, he wasn't dodging. For once, he bit back his screams and kept running. He didn't want to look like some kind of coward in front of the girl, after all.
"Hey, I bet your sisters are cute, maybe I'll take them out, too!" Scout called as he rounded the corner. Up the stairs, Demoman was waiting, smirking. That was generally a good thing, unless it was the Demoman on the other team.
The hallway looked like it was covered with Christmas decorations, stickies everywhere, but Heavy couldn't see them from there. At least, he couldn't until it was too late. Scout doubled back and jumped over Heavy's head, keeping him distracted just long enough to fall into the Demoman's trap.
Scout kept running past the explosions, like some fricking movie star, the sound ringing in his ears as he came around the corner.
"They'll be gluing you back together IN HELL!" Demoman said, his laughter echoing through the halls.
Scout took at a run for the intel room. He was almost there, almost there.
Nobody there. Was BLU really that incompetent? Jeez, what fricking losers.
He strapped the intel to his back and started out.
The enemy has captured the intelligence came over the intercom. About time the Administrator started talking about how he was owning this game. He thought she should really add the enemy captured your intelligence because you suck so much, also look at that incredible handsome man over there! Yes, look, new assistant. He's definitely a fine man you'd want to go out with.
But his reverie was broken by the sound of footsteps. Out from the corner came a BLU Pyro, like some horror right out of his nightmares. No face, blue rubber or whatever it was, and a freaking flamethrower. Scout took off on a desperate run away from the Pyro which was following him like a fire breathing dragon, flames licking at his heels. Jeez, where was his team when he needed them?
He ran through the lower parts, even as the water slowed him down a little—but only a little, because it was him—it was better than being fried alive.
He was just coming out near the bridge when he felt the hot fan of flames to his back again. "Jeez, are you ever goin' to quit? Just go back to where you came from already—hell, that is!"
Suddenly the BLU Pyro was blown away. Scout found himself looking into the face of his team's Pyro considering him with his head tilted.
"Oh, gee, um...thanks," Scout said.
Pyro lifted his hand. Scout had to stare for a minute to figure out what Pyro wanted.
"What, you want me to slap you one? Well...all right, but make it quick, we're in the line of fire."
He laid one on him—a slap, that is—and it was pretty cool, except that instead of just slapping Scout's hand, Pyro pulled him into a hug, giggling all the while. Scout stiffened, and tried to get out of the squishy feel of latex and asbestos crushing him.
"Whoa, whoa dude, just one slap doesn't make us bros!" Scout protested. He pulled away, only to see a big fricking rocket coming their way.
"Also, rocket coming this waaaay!"
He was just about to haul ass out of there when Pyro simply blew that rocket away with an airblast like he just did not give a shit about the damn rockets. Blew it right back into the face of the Soldier that fired it, that was. He could swear the little bastard was grinning behind his mask.
"You know, Pyro, you're all right...maybe," Scout said. "Thanks for the help, but I gotta haul it!"
He splashed took a jump past the water, landing in the middle and getting his clothes even more soaked in the process, but this was no time to be thinking about that. He wasn't going to let little stupid things like gravity and crap keep him down. He was a force-of-nature, also he failed science, so obviously it didn't apply to him. Take that, middle school science!
He raced up the halls back to the intel room, so far so good. There were the fried remains of a BLU Spy down right in front of the completely intact level three sentry.
"Hey, good job, smokey," Scout said.
The Pyro came around the corner and gave him a thumbs up sign. The guy was pretty light on his feet for being covered in a big rubber suit.
"I'll just be right here, to make sure she gets it right. Then I'll hand it to her, literally!" Scout said.
"Huddhahu?" Pyro said, tilting his head.
"Yeah, she's great, huh?"
"Mmmmpha."
"What a beaut. I gotta get her to go out with me," he said. He leaned against the wall and looked dreamily back at the glass, where he could just see her, the lone spot of color among all those black-clad orderlies.
Time passed, and none of BLU got close. True, he should be back out there, showing them who was boss all over again, but the minute he left, he'd lose his chance to see her again. Papers were strewn all over the floor here. Scout took one of the papers and folded it into a paper airplane. He tossed it in the air. After looking into the glass room—so close but so far!—he threw the paper airplane at it. It bounced off harmlessly the door. No luck. She wasn't even budging, but instead was bent down to talk to the fricking Engineer. Like shorty had anything on him—guy was probably married, anyways, he had that vibe.
Scout made airplane after airplane as he waited. He tossed them up into the air, only to have them fall to the ground with a soft noise. He used to have a ball with these when he was a kid, especially during school. Really, it brought back the best memories. He smiled and took another glance towards the door. If only he could just open that door, then he could charge in and talk to her. He could tell her how brave he'd been, and then she'd be so overcome by him, she'd swoon right into his arms. Oh Scout, my lacy bra is bothering me so, please remove it for me on our next date!
He knocked his head on the door of the glass. Ouch, now that was one bad idea. That glass was thick. He should know that already, considering how many times he'd seen it get shot and not break. Sometimes due to boredom, because watching the intel was about the most boring job there was, but mostly because of battles happening down here.
None, nothing, nada, zilch. She wasn't even turning around!
Scout trudged up the stairs reluctantly back to Respawn. Where were the rest of them, anyways?
Heavy and Medic were chatting, while Spy smoked in the corner, looking bored and like a smug, stupid, stinky asshole, just like always. Soldier was at attention, looking like a freaking robot, while Demoman was just drinking like a fish.
"Hey guys, what gives? Let's go, we gotta kick some BLU ass!"
"We've already got enough to win the match," Spy said. He flicked open his case and took out another cigarette. "All we need to do is ensure the BLU team don't get any more, and considering their show today, that won't be hard."
"Aye, the Spy is right. We've already done our duty, lad," Demoman said. "Might as well relax a bit while we wait for the screamin' lady to fix the match right."
"But, we've gotta keep it up! I gotta get more them!" Scout said desperately.
Heavy munched away on a sandwich, as Medic cleaned his gun. No one was exactly stepping up.
"Fine, I'll get the damn intel myself if I have to," Scout said.
He stalked out. Last time he'd had help, and BLU might be regrouping, but he could do it. Not a lot of other people could, but he could. At least, he hoped he could. No! No doubts allowed, he'd do it and get her attention once and for all!
He was just about to head off the road, when he realized that he wasn't alone, and that Pyro was following after him.
"Hey, I thought you were watching the intel?" Scout said.
"Mhrrumpha," Pyro said. He mimicked a marching, and for a minute, Scout wondered if he was taunting his taunt, but no, the salute made it clear.
"Oh, Soldier's down there, huh? I was wonderin' where he went off to," Scout said. "You gonna help me?"
"Hudda!"
"Okay, then it's two of us. BLU don't stand a chance," he said.
Spy decloaked and made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat.
"As if I'd let you go make even more of a fool of yourself than you do on a regular basis."
"You're the fool, fool," Scout said.
"Brilliant comeback. You have truly astounded me with your biting wit. I will have to surrender myself to your superior skills, obviously," Spy said. He rolled his eyes.
"I'll roll your eyes— to the back of your head with my fists–" He broke off as he saw the rest of his team coming out.
"Well, we might as well properly school them, ja?" Medic said.
"Might as well earn my paycheck," Sniper said, pushing his glasses up.
"Cannonball!" Demoman bellowed.
Heavy let out an incoherent roar of a battle cry.
Scout smirked and raised up his fist. "All right, consider their clocks cleaned!"
*
"Who is he even talking to?" Miss Pauling asked. She frowned at the screen as he yelled out this one's for you!
"He just talks," said one of the orderlies.
"And talks, and talks, and talks, and talks," another workman added wearily.
"Does he have a thing for the Administrator?" She said. She covered her mouth with her hand to stifle the laughter. What a doomed affection...it was kind of cute, in a completely wrong way.
"I doubt it," another orderly said. "He's terrified of her."
She moved away from the screen to peer down on the progress. Engineer had been welding something, and now he was doing something else entirely. She didn't quite know what.
"Are you almost done, Engineer?" She asked. "The Administrator...she has little patience."
"Almost there, Miss Pauling. And I know, I've been workin' for her for years, now."
He had pulled out wires, and was working to reattach them. They sparked, and he let out a disgusted groan.
"It'll take a mite while yet, I guess," he said.
"The Administrator doesn't like to be kept waiting," She said.
"I know. I'm workin' it."
She sighed and got up to look at the screen again. Scout was making a significant change in the match again. RED team had really rallied, though she couldn't tell what had changed their morale so dramatically to make them push so hard.
"He's never done this before," another orderly noted.
She looked up, and he was looking up at a camera, with a bright smile. "You seein' this? You seein' this, beautiful? Hope you enjoy the show, gorgeous, because there's more where that came from!"
"Probably tryin' to get your attention," Engineer muttered.
"What?" Miss Pauling said.
"Well he sure as hell ain't tryin' to flirt with me," Engineer said with a wry smile.
She blushed a little as she looked up, feeling suddenly hot under her collar. A rocket soared past him as he took a leap off of the bridge, papers scattering into the air as he ran. It looked like he was flying.
*
He arranged them just right, briefcase after briefcase. Hell if he knew what they held, but he didn't really care. It was the thrill that ensuring the other team didn't have their secret crap that mattered. And finally, finally, it paid off. She came out the doors, looking a bit taken back at the work of art that was his mountain of BLU briefcases put into a heart-shape.
"Hey, you didn't tell me your name," he said.
"You will refer to me as Miss Pauling," she said. She didn't even look up from her clipboard, and he was looking extra manly today, too!
"That ain't your first name," he said.
"By TF Industries policy, first names are not used. You should already know this," she said. That clipboard was driving him crazy. How dare that stupid clipboard steal away attention that should rightfully be his! He was about two seconds from ripping it from her hands and going look at me! How could she just not gaze on this perfect example of manhood right in front of her? Seriously, how?
"Oh that? My name is––"
"I already know your name; I'm familiar with your personnel file," she replied, effectively cutting him off.
"Very familiar, huh?" Scout said.
She looked up from her papers—finally— and flicked her gaze over him. But it was quick, dismissve, and she was back to her papers in just a second. He'd never been so shut down like this. It was pretty damn hot.
"Oh...According to the surveillance, you have a piece of intelligence that belongs to TF Industries," she said.
"What? I put all the briefcases over there," Scout said.
"A paper," she said.
He thought for a second. He something gotten attached to his legs? Oh, that!
"I don't know, I'm pretty attached to it," Scout said.
"Are you as attached to it as your job and life? Withholding information is a serious offense, one sure to land you in a disciplinary hearing," she said, pushing up her glasses to the bridge of her nose.
He pulled the paper out from his bag. It was still in pretty good shape, though a bit more wrinkled than when it first went in there.
"See, I can't read a word of this crap, but that's not why I like it."
He smiled and pointed to the lipstick mark right there.
"Oh...I see."
She reached into the pocket of her purple skirts and pulled out a little piece of folded notebook paper. She unfolded it and pressed the paper to her lips. Never had Scout wanted to be a piece of paper more in his life. He stared transfixed as she pulled the paper away and held it out to him.
"Perhaps you'll take an exchange?"
Whoa, she had to be flirting with him, right? Right? This was like a proxy kiss. Good going, man!
"Yeah, I'll take that," he said.
"Good, now that this is settled, time to take these in."
Several orderlies came to pick up his hard work, dismantling the heart shaped pile of briefcases. He was kind of sad to see them go. It'd been like a work of art, so many BLU briefcases spinning in time together.
"Hey, Miss Pauling! I'll build you a frickin' castle out of intel if that's what it takes to see you again!"
She looked over her shoulder. "I'll be looking forward to it."
Whoa, she was smooth! What a comeback! Not even a smelly Spy with his stupid sarcasm could out do that! And it wasn't even mean, either. Scout stumbled out to the showers, feeling like he was in a daze. Yeah, she was a real special girl all right.
*
"And then, and then, she said 'I'll be looking forward to it!' She's in love with me, I know it!"
Heavy muttered to himself in Russian and rattled the dishes and crap real loudly in the common room.
"I think I liked it better when he talked about baseball," Sniper said.
"Aye," Demoman said and poured himself another drink.
He heard the sound of uncloaking.
"Scout," Spy said.
"Yeah?" He said without turning around.
"Silence is golden. Duct tape is silver." He heard the sound of a roll of tape being unrolled. When he looked back, there was a vicious gleam in Spy's eyes–even more so than usual.
"Whaat—that ain't funny, man."
"Why waste tape when you could simply sew his mouth shut, or cut out his tongue, or remove his vocal chords? Or even better, do all three?" Medic said. His grin was seriously Dr. Frankenstein.
Scout started at a dead run out of there. They were after him, they were frickin' after him! "Screw you, guys!" he called back. "This ain't funny!"
"No, it's hilarious!" Spy called.
He ran into Pyro coming in the other door.
"A little help, here!" he cried.
Pyro saluted. He lifted up his flamethrower, and a blast of air knocked them back.
"Thanks, pally!" He called back as he rushed away
"Honestly, that boy. He can't even take a little joke about maiming," Medic said.
"Who's joking?" Spy said.
*
Miss Pauling stared at the last remaining paper of the day's work. She'd put the rest in order. The translation could would be done by her and the Spies tomorrow, but this one had been truncated. She lifted it up, the imprint of her lips still quite clear, right over a not about the sale of Australium–in code, of course, but she'd learned the code used for Australium quite fast, considering how often she had to translate it. She found herself smiling for no reason...well, not exactly no reason. She flipped it over. It seemed a waste simply to burn or shred it, when he'd held onto it so tightly.
Not that she cared what he thought, mind you. Okay, perhaps she cared a little.
She'd be doing something very dangerous, but...
She rested her hand on the paper, caging the print from harm as she used her other hand to knock over her coffee cup.
"Oops," she said flatly.
A few snips, and the print was preserved. It hadn't been her intention, but now it had the shape of a heart...like she was giving him some childish paper valentine.
She frowned at it, at herself, her choices. Honestly, what was she even thinking? He was her coworker, a hired killer, no less. She'd had the window to let in some air, but it'd gotten rather cold. She got up to close it, and a sudden wind took it from her hands. She could only watch as the paper heart fell towards the ground.
*
Scout kept running until he was out of the base. Sure, he'd lost them ages ago, because he was just that great, but it felt good to run. The wind had picked up, and it'd gotten a bit chilly, but he could take it. He was a Boston boy; he'd felt way colder than this.
He saw something floating down, and caught it. A little paper heart, like the type the kids gave around valentine's. He looked it over, and found the same kiss mark. It'd come back to him!
He looked up, and saw her looking down from the second story.
"Hey, Miss Pauling," he said. He waved up at her. Oh, man, her bun was turning messy and undone! How cute was that? Extremely!
"Hello, Scout," she replied.
"Thanks for givin' it back, it means a lot to me. I'll keep it around like a good luck charm. With somethin' like that with me, I just can't lose."
He lifted it to his lips and kissed the paper heart, almost like he was kissing her.
She ducked back out of sight. Oh wait, was she blushing? Oh, score!
"You put on a good show today, Scout," she said. She stepped back into view again, and yes, he could just see a faint flush to her cheeks.
"I know, right? Total A-game right there. Keep watching, Miss Pauling, because you're goin' to see a quality show you can't see anywhere else on earth."
"I work here, so I will," she said. She was smiling at him! Score! He'd gotten a grin out of her yet, and a blush in one day. Oh man, he was awesome, life was freaking awesome!
He grinned back at her and gave her a two finger salute before he took off running again. He was full of so much energy and happiness that he just had to burn it off and feel the ground beneath his feet. Besides, he couldn't slack off in training anymore, not with someone to impress. He already had plans for tomorrow. One, wipe the floor with BLU, two, manage to lose shirt and give Miss Pauling a show, three....well, okay, he was still working on three, but four and five involved dating, that was for sure.
Just when he thought his life couldn't get anymore awesome, she had to come into his life. He'd have to step up his game every day, no more slacking off. For her, he thought he could manage.
