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lastchancestardomm · 6 months

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A Real Family

Mercenaries x Teen!Reader

Word Count - 2.5K

Warnings: Child Abuse. Swearing. Fluffy Found-Family Mercenaries. OC-insert. Written accents.

Status - Not Beta Read

A/N: Remember that post I made about the Mercs bullying Teufort citizens? That's how long this big boy was cooking. This is my brain slop served on a silver platter for all to see. This isn't a reader insert, just my 16-year-old TF2 oc Ana Ivanova (who was pushed out of a helicopter into Snakewater but shhh we don't talk about that). The translations for the Estonian words are in the replies of this post. As for Ana's lore this is just the tip of the iceberg lol.

The cool Estonian air poured into the room like a wave lapping on the shore of a beach. So sudden, yet so common. Ana flipped over in her bed, the créme-colored, thin fleece blankets hand-knitted by her late mother wrapped around her. Ana squinted through the dark, and saw the silhouette of her sister's grinning face in her doorway.

"Hei, sister! Today, it's your turn to help me string the nets and catch us some breakfast!! C'mon, get up and put on a smile, unekott!" Maria chimed, her voice falsely inviting.

Ana's stomach grumbled under her blankets at the mention of breakfast. Last night, Maria sent her to bed with no dinner because she gave her lip. Ana leaned up on her elbows, back popping as she squinted up at her smarmy sister. Maria rushed her, like a cat pouncing on its prey, her hands gripping Ana's arms, and Maria hauled Ana out of her safe and comfy bed.

"Hei! Mida-"

"Ei! No cuss words," Maria sternly reminded her, hooking arms with Ana and dragging her from her bedroom to the kitchen.

The two siblings skipped down the hall, as the oldest of them was in the kitchen brewing some hot tea. Little Olev was cradled in his arms, wrapped in another white fleece blanket that was hand-knitted by their mother.

"Tere, Alex!" Maria said in a sing-song voice, greeting her older brother.

She sighed. "Tere, Aleksander– tere, little Olev," Ana hastily greeted. Maria whacked the back of her head. Ana made a groan, as her brother's sweet-as-honey smile faltered slightly.

Maria kissed the top of Ana's head to ease Aleksander, and she skipped over to kiss her older brother on the cheek, as her littlest sibling made a tired noise of distaste. Twirling playfully, she yoinked a black, furry coat off the coat rack and began buttoning it. Ana simply stared at her display.

"Mida? You're fourteen, you can get the coat yourself. Now, hurry! Before I do it all and you'll get nothing to eat!" Maria benignly threatened in her sisterly voice. Ana flinched when Maria's hand raised to exaggerate the "nothing to eat".

Ana nearly tripped over her socked feet; drunkenly stumbling to the coat rack to grab the slick maroon coat. The soft, rabbit fur lining slipped over Ana's lanky arms. The shiny zipper cocooned Ana in her coat, and throwing on her boots she grabbed the ice drill and a cup of bait on the key stand. Maria smiled at Ana and pat her on the back, Ana recoiling from the action.

The sisters rushed outside into the snowy Estonian grass. It was near ethereal. The sky was silver, as frost twinkled on every blade of grass. Powder snow rained down like it always did in the morning, and Ana sped out after her sister for the frozen lake.

Stepping onto the ice, and seeing the imprint of her boots on the thin sheet of snow covering the lake, Ana smiled. Maria did a whistle for Ana to come near, and she stomped on a soft part of the ice where all the small fish were. It was never a lot, but it was enough to feed the four of them.

Ana set the drill down onto the heart of the crack Maria made by stomping on the ice, and slowly rotated the drill-tip in her hands. The ice was already pretty thin, so when Ana pressed the side button meant to punch a hole in the ice, she accidentally dropped the drill into the cold water.

"Mida kuradit?!" Maria screamed at her. That drill was hand-made by Aleksander and their father, back when Maria was little. Her papa always held the family drill in high value, and so Maria did too. To lose the drill felt like losing a 10,000 quid lottery.

"Ma- vabandust!" Ana pleaded. Maria grabbed Ana's dirty blonde hair, teeth gritted in contempt. Maria yanked on Ana's hair firmly, to twist her away; and Ana fumbled on her feet when she was spun, so she slipped and fell face-first onto the ice.

Maria fell with her, but she caught herself on her knees. Ana was laid out on the ice like a dead body, as her older sister glared down at her with empty eyes of hate. Ana's neck craned back, and her face was bashed against the ice.

Again and again, Maria continued to pound Ana's face into the ice 'till she bled. Her eyes were filling with blood from cuts on her forehead– her sister fading into the red, blurry void.

Eventually, the ice broke; Ana's face heading into the water below. She screamed, bubbles of air gurgling out of her mouth. Her head flew up, freed, and she was flashed with sunlight. Her achy arms lifted her up on silky, gray-brown sand. The sky was a gentle blue, and calm waters tickled her wrists. The rocky outcrops were rounded, warm, and soothing.

At least until the screaming came. Men, screaming. Explosions turned the once-gentle sky orange, and all the white puffy clouds in it dispersed into black smoke. A bullet bounced off a rock beside her, chipping it and turning it jagged. Then. The worst part of it all. Had to be Maria's laughter. It came from the loudspeakers. It made Ana's ears ring. Maria's fucking cackling.

Ana's hands rushed to cup her ears; to make the vexatious, awful laughter go away. It was deafening, and made Ana's head pound. She screamed, and she screamed and she screamed to make it go away.

As she screamed for Maria's stupid laughing to go away, people calling her name emerged, and it got louder and louder with the laughter too. "Ana! Ana! Ana!" it was like a bunch of different voices were speaking all at once. Her eyes squeezed shut against her will. This didn't feel nice. Make it stop. Make it quiet. Shut up. Stop it.

"Stop." she sorely, and quietly mustered at first. But the voices kept coming. "Stop!" she demanded, eyes now open and pouring unshed tears. But the voices continued to get more anxious. "Stop it!" she screamed. But they kept coming.

"STOP!"

═════════════════════════

Ana's eyes fluttered open, and she wasn't on the hellish battlefield anymore; rather, on a couch. A red couch. A man in a white doctor's coat was level with her, on his knees; his icy blue eyes locked with Ana's turquoise ones.

A breathy, Estonian "Ah?" lazily left her lips in a yawn.

The hands on Ana's face were not hers, trying to block out the laughs; but rather the man's, whose soft thumbs were wiping away tears. Her world seemed fuzzy, but slowly, she could make up the words flying around her.

"Ana? Mein Kind, vake up," Medic was saying. An expression of worry was worn on his face. Others were also trying to coax her awake. She felt herself trembling on the couch, now aware of someone's arm wrapped around her.

"Medic?" Ana asked quietly. He nodded, and Soldier and Pyro were now shushing the others. "Mis juhtus?" she asked looking around, accidentally slipping into her mother-tongue.

"Jou fell asleep betveen Heavy und I," Medic started, the arm around Ana belonging to Heavy. The large Russian was looking down at her, his worry also evident. "Jou started vhimpering und tvitching. Vhen jou started crying ve all tried vaking jou up," Ana was suddenly aware of all the eyes on her; every Merc staring her down with a concerned look.

"It was just a nightmare, I'm fine, really!" Ana said, trying to nonchalantly shrug it off. A shaky breath trailed her words.

"Kiddo, no one should be actin' like dat when sleepin'," Scout stated.

"Oui, Scout is right. What was zhe dream about, chérie?" Spy asked from his spot next to Sniper.

She shook her head, "It doesn't matter, I'm fine now," Ana said, attempting to reassure them. It seemed to only worsen their state, though. Medic took Ana's hands, holding them, opening his mouth to begin to speak when Engineer cut him off.

"Yah weren't dreamin' 'bout her again, were yah?" he asked. Ana's eyes guiltily fell to her hands, an obvious yes.

"Roo, yah left that sheila behind the day yuh fell into Snakewater," Sniper said, sighing. His head dipped low, solemnly, but he straightened back up when Ana spoke.

"My brother... he didn't even try to look for me," she said, feeling the salty tears drip down her face once more. "He didn't even try."

"Ana." Heavy stated suddenly. "Look at Heavy vhen he iz talking to you." She did as he told, meeting his eyes. Heavy's grip on her tightened. "It iz better dat he did not." he said. "You are happy vis us, да? Happier than you ever been?" Ana nodded at all his questions, taking her hand from Medic's to wipe away still-wet tears. "You should not care about her."

"She treated yah like crap! She was messin' with yer family so she could hurt yah wit'out no one questionin' it! Now tha' is no way tuh live," interjected Demoman, shaking his fist. Soldier patted Demo on the shoulder in agreement.

"Ana?" Scout, almost somberly, asked. Ana looked over at him; he was holding his hat in his hands, and his headset was around his neck with his short brown hair ruffled. "Did... did any of 'em evah tell yah dat they loved yah?" When she shook her head, a no, the temperature in the room seemed to increase.

Their combined anger could've rivaled Ana's late father. A lot of them were muttering curses under their breath. "But none of them needed to! Alex kept the roof over my head and Maria was keeping food on my plate; it was all just peachy!" Ana was shushed by Heavy.

"Ana. Zhose are her words, not yours," Spy said. "Zhat is not love. Zhat is what caretakers legally 'ave to do for you in this country,"

Ana frowned. "But Maria always told me-"

"Ana! She had lied to you about a lot of things!" Soldier said suddenly. "Hudda hudda!" Pyro added, probably agreeing with Soldier.

"Ana, listen to me." Medic said, drawing her eyes back to him. "Jour birzh parents, siblings, whoever- vill never love jou as much as ve do. Zhey do not compare to us; zhat may sound narcissistic, but it is true,"

Ana nearly froze. "You guys... love me?" It was a genuine question.

"I mean, yah kinda fell from the sky and took a tumble on 'dem rocks in Snakewatah, so Doc hadda heal yah, and we all wanted to keep yah at that point," Scout said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Ve had to fight the Miss Pauling to keep you," Heavy added.

"Aye! Even after that we had to fight The Administrator!" Demoman chimed in.

"Darlin', we gave yah somethin' yer old parents never could." Engineer said. Ana rose her brow and he smiled at her. "A real family,"

"We love yah more than anythin' kiddo," Scout said.

"We'll foight for yah, even if that means we lose our jobs; yer way more important," Sniper stated, grinning. Though his grin was lost when Ana suddenly burst into tears.

"What is the matter, Cadet?" Soldier asked frantically.

Ana covered her face with her hands, attempting to wipe away the tsunami of warm tears dribbling down her face. Don't cry, please. "I- I'm just so happy!" she cried. "No one's ever- ever loved me before! Aitäh, aitäh!"

Medic sighed, a small grin on his lips. "Ana, I know, I fell in love zhe second I saw jou," he shrugged, "Even zhough jour head vas bleeding." Medic covered a part of his mouth with his hand, leaning closer to Ana. "But I know jou love me zhe most," he whispered, though he made sure the others could hear it.

"Now hold on a moment, tha's not true. Ana loves me the most," Demoman said, earning a shove from Soldier.

"Both of you are lying! We all know who Ana's favorite is and that's-"

"Me!" Before she knew it, Ana was swept up in Demoman's arms. He hugged her tightly as he kissed her cheek. Then Scout snatched her from him, holding her in almost a headlock by his waist; ruffling her hair as he "hugged" her.

"I want to hold Ana!" Soldier argued, grabbing her from Scout and hugging her to his body with only one arm, like she was a teddy bear.

Ana was used to this, surprisingly. She got a lot of amusement from this human tug-of-war. "Guys, there's plenty of me to go around," she joked, grinning.

"Yes, well now you are mine, and only mine," Soldier stated.

"Ohoho, is zhat a challenge?" Medic asked (more like teased), smirking. He grabbed Ana, engulfing her in a hug, and peppering the top of her head in small kisses. Heavy stood in front of Medic, effortlessly grabbing and holding Ana with one arm, and holding Medic back with the other.

"Aye! I had Ana first!" Demoman whined, trying to grab her back. With Heavy distracted, Pyro cut through the fray and grabbed Ana; sending Demo to the floor with a thud! as the Scotsman's weight slammed against the ground. Pyro held onto Ana as they spun her in a circle gleefully.

Spy got a hold of her next, but before he could vanish with Ana in tow, Sniper grabbed him. His left arm wrapped tightly around Spy's neck, while his right arm was draped over Ana's shoulders. Sniper slyly grinned up at the Frenchie.

"Let go of me Bushman!" Spy snapped, nearly elbowing Sniper in the throat.

Sniper chuckled and did as told, but he kept his grip on Ana. That left Engineer, who stood in front of Sniper with his arms crossed. "Wot are yah gonna do, shorty?" Sniper teased.

Engineer quirked a brow, flashed his wrench on his belt, and smirked up at Sniper. The kiwi gave off a nervous chuckle, politely shifting Ana to Engineer. Engineer looked around at the other men. And Pyro, who seemed to be getting closer to him, "Now fellas, why don't we just let Ana tell us who her favorite mercenary really is?"

"But I can't choose, I guess you're going to have to keep trying to win me over," she joked, grinning slyly from ear-to-ear.

"Well that'll be easy, I'm already winnin'!" Scout boasted.

"In your dreams, maggot!" Soldier retorted.

"Now look what'cha started Ana. We got a whole war startin' 'cause you're so damn lovable," Engineer said, laughing as the bickering began to grow. "Imma just start walkin' away, we both know Ah'm your real favorite anyway," he joked, turning on his heel and starting to walk back to his workshop.

"Vhere do jou zhink jou are going, Engi?" Medic called, the others now noticing him leaving, too. Next thing Ana knew, she was the one running. After all, she had nine mercenaries all trying to smother her with affection and attempting to become her favorite.

She was loving it though. How they were trying to show her how much they really loved and cared for her. This was something other than a competition between them. And as Ana was in her room, giggling up a storm as she heard the Mercs all playfully calling out her name like it was a game of Marco-Polo, she knew that Engineer was right; this was a real family.

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ink-on-the-brink · 2 years

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Yandere Merc Dads (Imagines)

[Spy, Soldier, Medic]

A/N: Guess who's back bitches! And I've come with the last part in the yandere Merc dad series! Let's GO!

Spy

You become his kid in a similar way you become Scouts. His wife dies at your birth and in doing so leaves a vacant hole on who will take care of you. However, the only way he's going to take you in is if he's not at the mercenary base anymore. So this would have to happen before or after joining the team.

"mon amour, s'il te plait...s'il te plait ne me quitte pas, s'il te plait ne pars pas-"

"Please don't cry for me. You have a child to take care of...don't make their legacy my death"

The moment he laid his eyes on you he was immediately obsessed. If he's being honest, that's how he felt at the birth of all of his children. But it was always a weak obsession in the beginning which was overpowered by the fear of what would happen if his work-life mixed with his personal life. So he had always left. Now though, without the option to leave you for your own good, that obsession was allowed to grow within him.

"Shhh, ne t'inquiète pas mon petit bijou, papa est là. Je sais, je sais...elle me manque aussi"

He's extremely protective but no one would be able to tell, even you. He knows where you are and what you're doing at any moment of the day and no matter how free you think you are you're always exactly where he wants you to be. Sure, you can have friends, but he's going to be the reason you meet them after he's practically picked them out for you. You want to go out with said friend? He'll subtly implant ideas of where you should go and what you should do until you choose them, thinking that you came up with them the entire time. Romantic partners? Yeah, he's definitely picking those. He'll cause whatever chain of events he has to. Everyone in your life is someone he put there and anyone who isn't is seen as a threat.

"Papa! Papa! I made a new friend!"

"Really? What's zeir name?"

"Lilly! They just moved in next door!"

"Oh really? Hm. What a lucky day for you zen petite bijou"

Spy always has eyes on you. Always. Whether it's his own or his most trusted workers. That being said, if say one of those workers happened to lose track of you or he happens to look away at just the wrong time...This isn't going to end well.

"What do you mean you lost track of zem!"

"I mean I was watching them and they ducked behind a building and didn't come back out! I don't know where they are!"

"You imbecile!"

His first objective is to find out where you are. He's going to every imaginable length to find you and nothing is going to stop him. He'll threaten and kill until he knows where you are and gods forbid it's somewhere unsafe. After he finds you he's immediately relieved. Unless you're in Immediate danger he won't directly appear but instead subtly direct you home through the environment. He doesn't want you knowing that he's watching you and popping up out of nowhere would compromise that. So he simply cools down from his panic in the shadows as he guides you home.

"I'm so lost! Papa is going to be so mad when I get home late-"

Click, click, click

"Huh? Oh! A map! That's...oddly lucky..."

And what about the person who lost track of you? Well that's exactly it, what about them? As far as he's concerned they no longer exist. Their name is erased from this planet, along with their body. They are nothing more than ash in the wind now.

"Sir, have you seen Darin? Hasn't been around since last week"

"Who?

"Darin? You hired him for a few jobs?

"Apologies, I don't zink I know zat name"

Despite his care, Spy isn't the best with kids. He's not very experienced and is rather cold towards most people in general. So it will take him a while to get used to being around you, let alone being your parent. Even when it does finally click though he isn't immediately lovey-dovey. He kills for a living, he almost can't risk showing his care for you. But you will know that he cares, even if it's just the small things. It's just important that no one else does.

"And what about that kid of yours?"

"...I don't know what you're talking about-"

"Oh, don't play coy with me. You know exactly what I'm talking about"

"I'm afraid not. I'm a man of espionage. A child would just get in ze way of zat"

He loves giving gifts to you. It's sort of his way of showing affection. He gives you exactly what you want and nothing less. You'll treasure these gifts and love how much thought is put into them. He'll sometimes get you things even before you knew you wanted it. He's an incredible gift giver and does undoubtedly spoil you.

"Bijou, I got you somezing"

"Really?? What is i-...oh my god..."

"...do you like i-"

"IT'S PERFECT!"

Would call you "mon petit bijou" which translates to "my little gem"

"petit bijou-"

"You know, I'm not little anymore. You can stop calling be that"

"Would you prefer gros charbon?"

"...I retract my previous statement"

He's only letting you go to the best, most expensive school. He wants you to have the best life and that requires the best education. That being said, like everything else in your life, it's controlled through the shadows. He personally picks your teachers and pays them extra if they give you extra attention. He knows all of the kids in your class as he's the one who picked each one of them. Even down to the janitors. Everyone you'll ever meet is someone he's picked beforehand.

"Y/n, you seem like you're not understanding something. Can I help?"

"Oh! Uh, yeah! I don't think I understand this question"

Spy's worst fear is his work life at all interfering with you. So all it takes is one small slight insinuation or even so much as a broad gesture from a colleague or enemy towards you and he's killing them. He doesn't care how important they are or how much chaos it would bring to kill them. Absolutely no one is causing any harm to you. And if they do? Well, they will be forgotten by time itself as he erases absolutely everything about them from existence.

"You got any kids snake? Y/n ain't it? I'd hate to see someone lose their daddy over some petty job. So come on, let it go-"

BANG!

"Absolutely no one speaks of my family"

Spy is a rather strict parent. He wants you to grow up intelligent and independent and if he is to do that then there will have to be rules. His rules though are a lot more normal than the others. Keep your room clean, do your chores, don't go out without infotming him, do well in school, etc, etc. He doesn't have to put limits in your social interactions because everyone you know is someone he put there. So he just simply focuses more on giving you good skills to bring into life.

"J'aime dessiner mais je n'aime pas parler anglais"

"J'aime det-"

"Des"

"-desiner uh...je-"

"Non, you forgot mais"

"Ug! This is so stupid!"

Breaking these rules does have its consequences. Again, he's rather normal when it comes to these. You can be grounded, get your hobbies taken away, be given extra chores and the list continues. He knows rebellion is a part of growing up so he isn't unnecessarily cruel about it.

"Y/n"

"Uh oh...Yes papa?"

"Sit"

That being said, if you were to gain a mean streak and say, run away? Well, he has simply no tolerance for that. He can and will find you, there is no hiding from him. You'll be locked away in the house for weeks, maybe even months. He'll grow colder than ever before and might not even speak to you during this time. In truth, it's because he was terrified. At any moment you could have been killed by people looking for him. If you would have died at the hands of those looking to harm him he'd never be able to live with himself. He had tried so hard to detach himself from his family due to this fear. You were the only one he had let in and now there was no getting out.

"I will not tolerate zis rebellion! Do you know how many people could have hurt you?! Ze dangers zat I protect you from-!"

"God, that's such horseshit! You're paranoid! No one's looking to kill me and even if they were it wasn't like I was just walking around like a defenseless dipshit! All I want to do is be by myself for like- five minutes! Without having to be in my room!"

You very likely will never notice his obsession as you grow older. He's a master at depiction and manipulation, no one's ever going to notice enough to tell you. You'll likely never leave his care either. He has enough money to keep you living comfortably for the rest of your life and it doesn't matter what he has to do, you're never going to live too far away.

"Will I have to move out when I get old enough?"

"If you would like. I have no problem paying for your apartment if you wish to be on your own"

"Really-?"

"Zat doesn't mean you won't be working zough"

"Oh come on-"

You and him will have a strange relationship as you grow older. He's caring but cold, protective but seemingly never in your life. You'll care a lot about him, he's your dad after all. He was always there for you when you needed him. At the same time though you knew next to nothing about him and he'd seldom tell you about himself. As you grow older you'll see him less and less until eventually he's out of your life almost entirely. The only thing that lets you know that he's still alive are the small gifts on your birthday along with the money you still had access to. You'll never be told why he left and it frankly might leave you a little heartbroken.

"Did...Did I do something wrong? Why did you leave? Where are you?"

You'll never know that he is still constantly checking up on you, unable to fully leave you even if it's for your own good. He's grown too attached to you; too close. He couldn't fully leave you no matter how hard he tried. He knew he had to go for your own good but the paranoia of not knowing where you are and what you're doing would never go away. So he decided it was best to stick to the shadows and hopefully keep as many of his enemies unaware of you as possible along with helping you through your life.

'I'm sorry zis is 'ow it 'as to be. I hope I can see you again, when It's no longer so dangerous'

Shadows surround your life and in them is where he'd stay.

Soldier

I'm almost fully convinced that Soldier just straight up kidnaps you. Like he just sees you chilling in a stroller or one of those baby rooms in the hospital and he just yoinks you as his own. Straight up he just sees a baby and goes 'hey, that looks cute. I'm gonna keep it'

"THIS BABY IS MINE! I WILL NOT GIVE IT BACK!"

The moment his raccoon friends accept you he's in full obsession mode. He will protect you with his life! His raccoon army will need a competent leader when he's not around and you're it!

"Hello lieutenant bites! I have brought you new company!"

"Chrrrr"

"...YOU HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED YOUNG CADET!"

Soldier is overprotective in a strange way. If anyone even so much as looks at you wrong then he's ready to send them six feet under, but his lack of self-preservation when it comes to his own actions rubs off on you. So he will encourage you to do dumb shit that gets you hurt, but not a single living creature is going to lay a hand on you.

"It is time for training little cadet! Today you will learn to jump...WITH ROCKETS!"

He is an extremely paranoid person. So any person that comes near is automatically assumed as a threat to him, and that's when you're not around. So you can imagine how much of a hair-trigger he has when it comes to other people around you. That being said he also isn't very observant. So all it takes is a little trickery and people will be able to sneak behind his back to get to you. That, however, never ends well considering he will eventually notice when you're not there and go on a spree of absolute destruction until he gets you back. He will level mountains (literally) if it means getting you back.

"I do not take kindly to your words commie! Y/n! We-...WHERE IS MY RACCOON LEADER!?"

Kids love Soldier, parents despise him. Sure, he's good for a bit of roughhousing and make-believe, not to mention that his stories are amazing to listen to. But his antics can, will, and do get you hurt on numerous occasions. He doesn't feel pain much anymore, so it's very hard for him to realize that others do. So it might take him a moment to see that you're hurt. But he's quick to act when he does and will try his best to make it better which, surprisingly, he's somewhat capable at. You don't travel overseas and blow up (supposed) commies without learning a thing or two about medicine. That being said, he'll still probably take you to a doctor of some kind.

"Great job cadet! You'll be as good of a soldier as me in n-"

"Mr. Soldier"

"What!"

"I think I have a boo-boo..."

"Oh...OH NO!"

Soldier treats you like a little member of his army. You are trained as a soldier but in a milder sense. He seems to still understand the difference between a child and an adult and so he won't treat you as harshly. That being said you will most likely have a gun in your hands by age five.

"Hut two three four, Hut two three four- pick up your knees cadet! There is no time for loose formation in war!"

Often refers to you as "cadet" or "little soldier". If you take these titles on with pride he'll grow the widest and most lopsided smile on his face.

"Hello cadet! Proud to see you up and at 'em so early!"

"Yep! I'm ready to start training!"

School? Psh, those are full of nothing but unamerican losers! They never helped him! They only called him stupid! No, he wouldn't put you through that! You're going to learn how to be an all-American soldier! You and him, you're gonna have each other's backs! No one's getting through the two of you! You'll be unstoppable!

"It's just you and me little soldier! And we're going to kick so much unamerican ass that our footprints will be permanently imprinted!"

"Yeah!"

"YEAH!"

Soldier doesn't tolerate anyone trying to hurt you or take you away. It's a swift neck snap for him. That's all it takes to protect you most times anyway. He isn't very calculated with these attacks though so it's often that he hurts someone who's done nothing wrong or someone with maybe a bit more power than he expected. So there have been numerous occasions when the two of you have had to flee from angry crowds or law enforcement.

"Mr. Soldier! They're gonna get us!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it!"

Soldier doesn't have rules so much as he has expectations. He wants you up bright early, to participate in training for the day, to grow strong, and to stay alert at all times. Breaking any of these 'rules' isn't common considering he has the persistence of a cat trying to get into a cabinet of treats. He will sit there, making your life as annoying as possible, until you do the thing he asked you to.

"Cadet! Cadet! CADET!"

"What!"

"You are up late! You will do two extra laps today!"

"But I don't wannaaaaa"

"That is not a factor in my decision!"

If, however, you are just as persistent in breaking his daily routine, he's willing to up the ante. He can and will pick you up and carry you where he wants you to be, no matter how hard you kick or scream. Once he has you where he wants you and you still refuse to do what he asks he'll start yelling. This will have absolutely no effect considering his default setting is loud and you can't tell the difference. After a while of ranting and realizing that none of this is working he'll grow silent. Which is downright terrifying because that means he's thinking and Soldier thinking is rarely a good thing. If you somehow withstand this bout of silence he'll take a seat next to you, his arms crossed and huffing. He will then sit there with you until either you do what he wants or it becomes time for bed. You won't be allowed to move from your spot unless you agree to listen to him. You won't be able to outwait him no matter how petty you are. He can go on like this for literal weeks with the only exception being bathroom and food breaks.

"YOU WILL STAND UP AND YOU WILL DO YOU'RE TRAINING RIGHT NOW!"

"No!"

"YES!"

"NO!"

"..."

"Then we will not leave until you do!"

As you grow older you might start to notice Soldier's abnormalities. And though you'll most definitely still love him, you can tell that he isn't fully alright in the head. Especially as you start to want to become more independent and explore the world more. He won't let you stray too far and his mental state only continues to deteriorate when you're away. His paranoia skyrockets and he will become suddenly more controlling. If you choose to stay by his side his grown paranoia won't cool again. You'll have to constantly assure him you're not leaving though.

"You are not going to leave me, right Cadet?

"Of course not! We're going to kick ass together! We are a team!"

"You are right! We are a team!"

If you do attempt to leave you'll see a side of Soldier he’s never shown you. What you would call your father disappears and is replaced by the battle-hardened paranoid man you recall people telling you about. You won't get far and if you do he will spend his entire life trying to find you. Once he does he will never let you go. You'll never be allowed out of his sight again and he won't be so kind about it either. He will grab you if you try to flee and doesn't hesitate to boast his utterly insane amounts of strength compared to you. Again, he doesn't feel physical pain, so your punches and struggling only hurt him emotionally.

"Let me go! You. Are. insane! INSANE! Get the fuck off of me!"

"YOU DO NOT GET TO LEAVE ME! YOU ARE MY, MY CADET. YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE! THAT'S AN ORDER"

He needs you. He has never really known unconditional love until he started raising you. You're his last line, his only true connection to those around him. Every other person has betrayed or left him. So he can't let you go. The thought alone strikes untold amounts of fear in him. It disturbs him greatly when you cry out for him to let you go and even more so when you pull away in fear, but he doesn't know what else to do to make you stay. You're his little soldier and as much as it pains him to hurt you like this, he believes it's better than letting go.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry. I can not let you go. I'm so sorry. Please do not cry, do not cry- I have to! You can not leave me! You can not!"

You're his little Soldier after all.

Medic

There is no way in hell that you weren't just an experiment gone...right? While he would have never intended to create a child, if it happens he takes it on rather quickly.

"Alright zere, zat looks good. Hm...oh! Just a dash of zis and-"

BOOM!

"...oh...oh mein gott..."

"wwwwwaaaaAAAAAAA-"

He will not fully attach to you at first. You won't even have a name for the first few years of your life. He'll maul over whether he should keep you or not, but he will eventually grow to care for you too much. It doesn't take long after that before he slips into obsession.

"So uh...what's it called?"

"Experiment of highly intelligent lifeforms number 472! Or just 472 for short"

"...so it doesn't have a name yet?"

"Vhy vould I name it? I'm not even fully sure it has a conscious yet!"

Medic is batshit okay. He's fucking insane. So it's fair to say he isn't the most conventional of parents. He's extremely protective of you, to the point of murder, yet he does not see himself as a bad influence with the sheer amount of gore he shows you on a daily basis.

"Dada!"

"Jou vant to see what daddy's vorking on? Come, come. I'll show jou! Look, right zere is ze lungs, und is ze middle of zat is ze heart! Und if jou follow along here jou'll find-"

He has constant tabs on you. You are only allowed to go where he saids you can and you will have to run every idea by him before you can do it. Despite his lack of care for his 'patients', your health is a top concern. He worries constantly about your health and can not bear to see you even slightly harmed, let alone fully injured. So under his watchful eye you'll remain.

"Nein! Get avay from zose! Jou'll get hurt!"

"Hm! Noooooo! I wanna play!"

"Zose are not for ze playing maus! Zose are my dangerous tools! Vhy don't jou go play viz Archimedes? I'm sure he'll be much more entertaining zan sharp metal"

Despite this Medic is actually strangely good with kids in his own incredibly strange way...When he's not scaring them, that is. He's rather excitable and has a habit of over-exaggeration. He also has a huge soft spot for babies, since he loves to dote on them.

"Awww just look at jou! Mein own little creation! Such an adorable specimen!"

Medic wants his child to be like him, so he'll encourage you to join him for experiments at a very young age. The moment you're old enough to pay attention to anything for more than ten minutes he has you sat beside him listening to his ramblings about what he's doing. When he thinks you're experienced enough he'll even let you help. Well, more like kinda force you.

"Do jou see zat Y/n?"

"Uh-huh"

"It's a tumor! Fascinating isn't it? Now vatch, jou're going to do zis next"

He calls you "kleine Maus" which means "little mouse". He gives you this nickname for two reasons. The first is that he just adores how small you are, the second is because of your perceived ability to get into things you shouldn't be in, which is common when you consider nearly every room he occupies is full of Things A Child Should Not Be In.

"Kleine Maus! Hehe, Jou vin! Jou can come out now! Please-"

Crash- bang- crash-...

"...ow..."

"...how did jou even get in zere?!?!"

He doesn't send you to any type of school. You don't need that nonsense! He'll teach you everything you need to know! From medical textbooks to first-hand experience, you'll be a medic in no time! Then you can help with his experiments!

"Pop quiz, how do jou put intensities back in a patient?"

"anastomosis usually"

"Good! And vhat vital organ cant feel pain?"

"The brain!"

"Good job! Jou'll be a Medic in no time

As Medic grows even more attached to you, his fear for your safety only gets worse. He wants absolutely no harm to come to you, even with accidents. So if someone purposely tries to harm you? Or attempt to take you away? He'll snap. He will try to knock them unconscious if possible so he can use them for future experimentation, but if he can't he'll kill them in the goriest way possible before taking you and leaving the situation. He'll turn from serial killer mode back to 'normal' in an instant, a fact that is only enhanced by its common occurrence. No anger is found in him. If you were affected by the incident, such as getting harmed or terrified to the point of tears, he will feel as if he failed and will try to make it up by doing whatever you want for the next twenty four hours...within reason anyway.

"Oh mein sveet kleine Maus, are jou okay? Are jou hurt?"

"Th-They- Th-They wouldn't let go they-"

"I know, I know Maus...let's get jou get cleaned up, zen ve can do vhatever jou vant okay?"

"Okay..."

Medic has many rules. He works a potentially very dangerous job, is likely being hunted by multiple people and governments at any given point and to top it all off isn't entirely there in the head. His top rules are to always listen to him under any given circumstance, to never go anywhere he doesn't tell you to, and to remain careful with whatever you are allowed to do.

"Y/n! Come here!"

"Hm?"

"Oh...vhen did jou get zere?"

"You never said I could leave"

"...so jou've been zere ze whole time?"

"Mm-hm!"

"...good"

You won't break any of these rules. You just won't. You’ve seen dozens of dead bodies in any given week, have watched him kill people who so much as looked at you, and have seen him fly into his frustrated rages when something goes wrong. Your imagination is enough motivation to keep you in line.

"Boo!"

"Meep!"

"Ha! I scared jou!...

"..."

"...Y/n? It's just me Maus, zere's no need to be so afraid!"

You're unlikely to notice how entirely strange your life truly is. How could you have? You were isolated from the outside world, only allowed to see things he allowed you to. You wouldn't know the concept of a life outside your own. You likely grow up to be like him, following in his footsteps the entire way. Especially seeing as he's made any other option unviable.

"Dad! Dad! I just made the most amazing discovery! If we add your serum with a drop of antibiotics it creates a super cell that, once ingested, can act as temporary bullet resistance- Like the Uber but without needing the medigun on them! And it can even fit in your crossbow!"

"Vhat a wonderful discovery maus! I knew jou held such great potential!"

You'll grow very attached and deeply dependent on Medic, following his lead every step of the way. You become his helping hand in a sense. You'll see him as a protector as he actively makes you afraid of the outside world. You won't stray from him, remaining loyal until death.

"Now maus, I'll only be gone for a few hours-"

"But what if people come! A-And they try to take me like they did before!? What if I get hurt and-"

"Taking jou vould be even more dangerous. Zis is ze safest place for jou to be, no vone vill look for jou here. I promise"

"...you'll be back soon?"

"Of course. As quickly as I can."

"...fine..."

Medic truly believes you are his best creation, his magnum opus. He loves working with you at his side and in doing so gains a new motivation to continue his work. Before he created you he was a lonely workaholic with no real purpose in life and now he has that sense of determination he had in his youth. This is why he must protect you and keep you away from outside influences. He must keep you safe, hidden from those who would seek to destroy you. No one will ever know that you exist.

'my sveet child, how I vish jou knew how truly important jou vere...don't vory, under my care jou vill be safe'

He'll make sure of it

#tf2 #tf2 x reader #reader x tf2 #tf2 engie #tf2 yandere #medic tf2 #tf2 spy #tf2 soldier #tf2 imagines #imagines #xreader #tf2 x child reader #platonic tf2 #tf2 platonic

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uwuowotf2waslife · 1 year

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can we get platonic!mercs for with reader who like shows up one day working with pauling, really sheltered and maybe like 20 ish stuff but eventually it’s revealed wuh oh! they’re CEO of a massive gun company or something? please and thank you sorry if my wording is off :oD

unironically pure platonic bullshittery makes my monkebrain go brrr.

Kinda gets a bit offended, like yes you are more naive than a churchmouse BUT WHERE DID YOU FIND ALL THAT MONEY: Scout

oh cool a new scout but..better??? ITS A MIRACLE: MeDic,SpY, DemO, SnIPer

babysitting duty : PyBro, Soldier

actual fucking adults that treat other adults like adults: Heavy, Engie

#tf2 fandom #tf2 platonic #tf2 headcanons #short

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triptych-of-voids · 7 months

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valentines day ass post in the middle of october i dont know what happened

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wormizette · 1 month

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what an insane artdump

comic is a reload and is based on spai having same VA as wheatley in one dub + me fcking dying from laughter when I heard that dialogue in portal I THOUGHT IT WAS FANMADE OR AI BRUH?? + I also had thoughts like lmaooo imagine what domination lines we could have if mercs knew dat sniper is adopted

ALSO a smol sneak peek for emesis blue fanart dat I'm gonna post soon so stay tuned!!!!!

#team fortress 2 #tf2 #tf2 spy #tf2 scout #tf2 pyro #tf2 sniper #miss pauling #fatty fatty no parents #emesis blue #tf2 medic #sorry not sorry for the brainrot one #fourth pic is platonic duh

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queddadraw · 2 months

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#tf2 #tf2 fanart #tf2 scout #tf2 engineer #again! can be read as either platonic or romantic it’s a choose your own adventure #rip Jordan #🕊️ 🙏 🪦#poor Jordan taken from us so soon

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poopyboiman · 1 year

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#tf2 #tf2 demoman #tf2 sniper #buzzfeed unsolved #tf2 crossover #team fortress 2 #platonic swordvan #swordvan #kaboomerang #tf2 shitpost #my art

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yourspacevirus · 2 months

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They did this at 3AM and it woke Pyro up.

#tf2 #tf2 demoman #tf2 soldier #they're best friends #please give me more platonic sollydemo. i NEED to see them be stupid together

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homkamiro · 6 months

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Sudden scoutling because I feel like it

#this can be viewed both romantically or platonically #whichever you like #i just find it wholesome how scout sincerely cares about ms pauling #he just wants to know she's okay #that's all that matters #team fortress 2 fanart #team fortress 2 #tf2 #tf2 fanart #tf2 scout #tf2 miss pauling #scoutling #kinda

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funkyjunkyfangz · 5 months

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i like these two a lot

we all know the original image of the girl staring at that guy's chest right

#i view them strictly platonically however #if you tag as science party or engiemedic i won't mind i support u #encouraged actually speak your truth #medic tf2 #engineer tf2 #drawingz #tf2 #idk if i'm proud enough to put this in the main tag i might remove it later

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nebulousmedic · 7 months

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I doodled this on my phone at a pizza diner 😭 Scout sTOP

#scout #sniper #tf2 #team fortress 2 #team fortress fanart #my art #tf2 scout #tf2 sniper #speeding bullet #speedingbullet #sniperscout #or can be platonic #whichever you want really #tf2 fanart

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2frosty4you · 2 months

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Hiii! If reqs are open, can I request for all the mercs finding out teen merc reader grew up with very neglectful parents, and is basically a mother to her younger siblings? The only reason she even took up a job as a mercenary is so she can pay the bills for her little brothers and sisters, since her parents are too busy using their money on drugs:/

Mercs find out teen!reader takes sole care of her siblings [Platonic

Hardest thing about this was actually getting a name for it :cry:

╔═════════════════╗

Scout

✧ He says he relates, but in reality he doesn't. His family was filled with successful boys (fatherless) and his mother who they all loved. He sent his paychecks to her every time.

✧ When you explained that you had to take care of your siblings from a younger age over the campfire he became quiet.

✧ Doesn't make a joke, but the awkward air was getting to him.

"so.. how many siblings ya got?"

✧ He only says this to break the ice

✧ After a while he understands why you're always on calls with people, always away on ceasefire and always take any off days you can get (hardly any)

Soldier

"AN AMERICAN CARETAKER SHOULD NOT INTAKE DRUGS FROM THE FRENCH!!"

✧ He's trying, but not hard enough

✧ He offers you one of his extra helmets and his raccoons. He cares for you like a strange rabid dog you found on the street.

✧ Shares his food with you, gives his loyalty to your brothers and sisters with a goofy salute.

✧ Don’t let him meet your siblings unless you want him to get them to dig a trench around your house

Pyro

".. mph?"

✧ They don't understand why your parents aren't using their own money.

✧ They don't understand a lot of what you explained

✧ They'll begin to offer any candies they have to you, not like they weren't already. Protects you a lot on the battlefield and draws pictures for you and your siblings (mostly balloonicorn)

✧ Would like to meet your siblings though, they've got plushies to share 100%

Heavy

✧ He pats you on the back and nods, he didn't need to mother/father a group of kids but having no father made his family's life harder.

✧ Teaches you some night hearty meals that could feed a battalion

✧ Also teaches you self defense, even if you know it already it's never enough (heavy tells you that like :nerd: )

✧ Also makes you sit and have some time to yourself, he's your 'father' now. No ifs, buts or whys

Engineer

"pardon."

✧ He says, frying pan in hand as he was cooking breakfast. Staring at you like he was going to kill a set of parents.

✧ Tries to keep you safer on the battlefield, not wanting you to suffer more than your family has done to you.

✧ Teaches you to cook, like heavy

✧ Cooks breakfast for you first, and when you have a rough time its 100% only you getting proper meal.

✧ Will drive you to your family's house, and stand there like a guard as you let him meet your brothers.

✧ Probably would build little contraptions for them and help tutor them.

✧ Loves you like family, including your siblings (not your parents, not at all)

Demoman

✧ He's drunk when you tell him this, he raises his bottle and spits out

"aye, fuck ya parents"

✧ He passes out immediately

✧ If he's sober when you mention it again he's going to be more caring(slightly) and since hes always at least tipsy he'll offer you his bombs like a drug dealer.

✧ If you say yes he'll blow up them and their crackhouse.

✧ Is on the fence about meeting your siblings, he doesn't really want your brothers seeing a drunk, half-blind Scot stumbling around.

Medic

✧ His eye twitches, a large insane smile on his face as he turns to you while having his elbows deep in the corpse of the enemy heavy.

"Did I mishear you?"

✧ He removes his hands from the corpse and comes over to you shaking you like crazy. Ranting about how a teenager shouldn't be caring for small children and asking if you had symptoms for any mental issues.

✧ He's insane, I'm not gonna sugar coat it.

✧ But he is smart and teaches you how to do some basic first aid

'no medic I'm not going to remove any appendices please stop cutting into scout'

✧ Wants to meet your sisters, offers them to play with his birds and offers up some plushies

'MEDIC DON'T GIVE THEM SYRINGES' 'and PLEASE put away the baboon heart'

Sniper

✧ Asks for you to repeat what you muttered and then offers to 'get rid' of your parents (sniper put down the rifle.. and the jarate)

✧ Drives you back and to your family home, is uncomfortable around small children so he's going to 100% either stay in his truck or be leaning against it the whole time.

✧ Don't worry he didn't bring any jarate with him.. Just don't check the truck (please)

✧ But if he mentions taking care of birds your siblings demand to see them, so they get along well

Spy

✧ He will assassinate them, won't tell you, but it'll be suspicious when your mother dies from an overdoses while having and obvious bullet hole through her chest

✧ Look, he wasn't a father to scout but he'll be a father for you. Better than your last father at least, and a little better than he was to scout.

✧ Teach your siblings french 100%, you won't know until they start speaking it and you're left dumbfounded.

╚═════════════════╝

Posted 1.03.2024 if you see any typos or anything pls tell me!!

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aerowolf · 1 month

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the mercs realize it's your bday and you didn't tell anyone because your family doesn't do birthdays

I’m so sorry this is a mess between British and American english. I have an American parent and a Canadian one so it messed me up lolll

if didn't include a Merc you wanted, feel free to request and I'll try and add them :]

includes: Miss Pauling & offense classes

cute platonic, gn!reader

warnings: n/a, this is basically all fluff

You'd rather not make a big deal of it being your birthday, even though it is you were taught that birthdays aren't a big deal and your family never really did them.

You kind of wish someone would care but you feel guilty about that so you choose not to tell anyone about it

The only one of these who actually knows it's your birthday is Miss Pauling, who’s seen your personnel files

Miss Pauling

She knows it's your birthday, and instead of ignoring it she decides to at least discreetly make it a good day for you

She arrives on base for a routine inspection, clipboard in hand, but once she's done with the main thing, instead of leaving, she comes to your room

"I saw that it's your birthday today. I don't know if you celebrate, or anything, but, uh, I thought you'd like a gift. Maybe."

She hands you a box, inside are some candy bars and a plush of a bear

"I know it's not exactly the nicest thing, and I know it's kinda... stereotypical... but, y'know, I thought you'd like something. So, happy birthday. From me.” She’s really shy about it, you get the feeling she didn’t--probably still doesn’t--really get to celebrate birthdays either.

She offers you a ride on her motorbike, something nice, on the open road--away from this base for a little while. You accept, taking a seat behind her, enjoying the open air--though it is pretty hot out. You guys talk, just enjoying the time.

She smiles at you as you get back. “Happy birthday. You deserve it.”

You thank her and even give her a hug. It’s nice that you got this for once.

Scout

He has no idea whatsoever that it’s your birthday. He’s interacting with you like usual, teasing you, just hanging out. You’re happy as you talk that day; he’s always good at making you laugh and smile.

At some point he notices that you’re a little down, as much as you may try to hide it, he can tell. You’re his friend, and even though he might act like he doesn’t care sometimes, you know he does. A lot.

You tell yourself you don’t want anything on your birthday, that it’s easier if no one knows, but secretly, you do.

“Hey, what’s up? C’mon, ya know I can tell when something’s wrong.”

You tell him it’s nothing.

“You sure? Really? You’re kinda… I dunno, sadder than usual.” After he asks a few times, you finally come out and tell him. You don’t say much. Just “It’s my birthday.”

“No kiddin’? Well, why didn’t ya tell me?” He comes off pretty strong. You feel kind of apologetic for mentioning it, and look away from him. “Aw, hey. Y’know what--it don’t matter. I’m gonna throw you a party like you ain’t never seen, believe me.”

You try to tell him you don’t want a party--well, you do. Maybe. No you don’t. Well, sure. But not a big one. He’s really sweet and enthusiastic about it. “Someone like you deserves a big birthday--but if you don’t want it, dat’s okay. Ya know, we could just hang out, or somethin’. You n’ me, yeah?”

You tell him you’d like that a lot. You both find a quiet spot in the base where you can just talk. He messes around, too, and pops in a Tom Jones record.

He’s a little shy, a little embarrassed, but he even sings happy birthday to you. He just seems glad no one can hear him. He doesn’t have a gift handy for you, but he ends up scribbling you a quick doodle of him telling you happy birthday. It’s misspelt, but the drawing is cute, and you keep it. “I hope ya had a good day. I’m just sorry I didn’t know sooner.” You tell him that it wasn’t his fault, how could he have known?

After all is done, he gives you an awkward hug. You smile and return it.

Soldier

He’s a little crazy so he’s just hanging around base, today he had the idea to strip and cover himself in honey, so everyone has had to convince him to please not do that, and now he’s just moping around, muttering about how anti patriotic this all is.

You sit next to him and mope as well. Unlike him, no one knows the reason you’re moping. To anyone else’s point of view, you’re just comforting him--for whatever weird reason. But he sees that you’re just as sad as him.

“What’s wrong, maggot? Is there someone who needs to see my fists meet their face?”

You tell him no, no one did anything. You’re a little intimidated by him, and you don’t see much reason to tell him anyways. But it’s nice sitting with a friend.

“If it’s not a person, then… it must be an object! Give it to me and I will destroy it immediately.” He’s being as sweet as he can, you smile and shake your head.

You sit there for a bit, smiling as you watch the other mercs come and go. Today isn’t a bad day, just a little sad. Later, you plan to find some kind of sweet treat to eat alone.

Soldier stands up, at attention, and points at you. “MAGGOT, AS YOUR SUPERIOR AND SENIOR, I ORDER YOU TO TELL ME WHAT IS WRONG!”

With a sad smile and a chuckle you finally tell him.

“Your birthday?” Soldier seems genuinely surprised. He places a hand on his chin and thinks. “We cannot go without celebrating! This is momentous!”

Although you try to protest, he turns to the base, stating to every other merc, “LISTEN UP! IT IS Y/N’S BIRTHDAY AND WE WILL CELEBRATE!”

He makes it his personal mission to decorate for a party that very evening, even gets a cake and everything. He makes every other merc sing happy birthday with him. Maybe this isn’t so bad.

You give him a big hug, and he is surprised at first, but proceeds to give a gentle laugh and hug back.

Pyro

You see Pyro colouring with crayons and coloured pencils on their break, and you sit by them. You don’t really understand what they’re saying a lot of the time, but you enjoy hanging out with them. It’s a long period of silence before you join them in colouring. Regardless of your artistic skills, they’re impressed and encourage you, and are very happy when you show them what you’ve been working on.

After a little while you get kind of bored and sad. You’ve tried to enjoy this day but it’s another bittersweet birthday. You’re happy to hang out with Pyro though, even though they don’t know what day it is.

Pyro notices that you’ve stopped colouring with them, and that you’re looking at the ground instead, messing with the cracks in the floor.

“Huddah hrmmf mmmrph?” You don’t understand what they’re saying exactly, but you smile at them. They seem to be asking what’s wrong, why you stopped, why you seem so sad.

You hesitate for a moment before finally confessing. They seem to mostly understand what you mean, and they lean back, thinking.

After a few seconds, they stand up and help pull you off the floor. They point to their room, and you follow them. It’s an odd combination of scorch marks, colourful drawings, weapons, and art supplies. They lead you to a wardrobe and pull out a box.

Surprisingly, you can see that it's fully wrapped. Did they somehow know it was your birthday? Do they keep these gifts on hand for the mercs?

You won’t get an answer, but they excitedly push it out and offer it to you. “Huddah hmmph!” They sound almost like they are smiling behind the mask. You take the box and open it. It’s got crayons, pencils, and… wow, that’s a drawing of you and them.

You smile, almost ready to tear up, and thank them. You give them a hug, and you notice that they’re hugging you back even harder. Maybe they don’t really understand, but this is sweet.

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