What a Lil' Prank Led To

Chapter 7: Weeks Without You

Scout took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure. It was late already, and he'd been lying down on his bed for a couple hours, just staring at the ceiling. It felt lonely now, being alone in his room. "Should've known it would end like usual." Scout sighed, getting up from his bed. It was three in the morning, and he doubted anyone would be outside, but he thought a quick midnight snack would help him feel better. He opened the door, and his eyes met with pitch-black darkness. Nobody was outside, and the only sound he could hear was the chirp of cicadas and the early morning breeze.

It had already been two weeks since that night with Sniper, and he hadn't been at Sniper's van since that night either. Scout had exchanged a couple 'hi's and 'hello's with him now and then, but he was trying to give Sniper space to think. He was trying his best, but it was boring being alone. Maybe he'd try to be more sociable with people besides Sniper. Perhaps he was being too clingy.

He took a couple of steps outside, treading lightly so as not to wake up the sleeping mercs. It wasn't long till he reached the kitchen, the rich scent of today's dishes wafting in the air. He grabbed a bowl and poured some cereal and milk into it. Scout doubted he'd fall asleep, so he thought he might as well have breakfast already. Snacking on the cereal was enough to give him a bit of energy, so he head outside of the base. Seeing the sunrise would be nice, and it'd be nice to have some peace before they assigned him with any work.

The runner placed the bowl back into the sink. He didn't bother doing the dishes since it wasn't his job to do that, and he couldn't care less about clean dishes. Laughing, Scout went outside, the pleasant weather surprising him. The sky was a mix of blue and pink, soft pastels with fluffy white clouds scattered across it. It was tranquil, much unlike his usual time on the base. That's nice.

Noticing some flowers blooming, he looked closely at them. The morning dew was still fresh, and drops were still dripping off their petals. Scout took a couple, bundling them into a makeshift bouquet. Maybe he'd give it to somebody later, perhaps Sniper would enjoy it.

Scout heard a couple of sounds that weren't his as he turned around in disbelief, hiding the bouquet behind his back. Someone was already awake? Looking into the eyes of the intruder of his peace, Scout was about to curse at him before realising it was Sniper who'd approached him. His gaze softened, and he looked less threatened as he inched closer to the sharpshooter. "Oh! Hey, uh... Whatcha doin' here, Snipes?"

Sniper had a worried look on his face, which concerned Scout. As Scout walked over to Sniper to give him a quick hug, Sniper pushed the runner away, grimacing, an almost disgusted look on his face. Scout's eyes widened in confusion and shock. "Huh...?"

"...Not now, Scout. I'm here to apologise about that time," He sighed, his tone serious. "Are you okay?" Scout looked shocked. There it was again. Him using Scout's mercenary name. Didn't he tell Sniper his real name two weeks ago? Whatever. Prolly used that name since we're at the base, for privacy n' stuff.

"Uh, what are you even apologising for...?" He tilted his head, confused.

"You know what I did."

"Snipes, I seriously don't know what you're talkin' about! You didn't do anything wrong–"

Sniper looked away, perplexed. Truth was, he wasn't even Sniper. He was none other than Spy in disguise, taking matters into his own hands. He wanted to know what had happened to Scout, and he wouldn't give up until he knew his son was alright. Spy cared a lot about Scout, and despite leaving him early on, he only wanted the best for him. "...Ah, nevermind. How are you doing?"

"What the hell? You're actin' weird. I'm fine. Why are ya so formal?"

Spy didn't spend all that much time with Sniper outside of business matters, so he wasn't sure if he got his personality done correctly. He couldn't mess this up, however. If his cover was blown, he'd lose Scout's trust and make their relationship worse than it already is. "I still feel bad, you know? I'm going to Miss Pauling to get my contract today, alright? See ya."